Federal Appeals Court Upholds Trump’s Tariffs During Ongoing Legal Battle, Citing “Exceptional Importance”
by Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Staff
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Worthy News) – A federal appeals court has ruled that President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners can remain in effect while legal challenges continue, handing a major procedural victory to the administration as it defends the tariffs as essential to national and economic security.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted the Trump administration’s request to stay a lower court decision that had blocked the tariffs, which were imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The law allows the president to regulate foreign commerce during a national emergency, a designation Trump declared to combat trade deficits, drug trafficking, and illegal immigration.
“Both sides have made substantial arguments on the merits,” the court wrote in its order. “Having considered the traditional stay factors, the court concludes a stay is warranted under the circumstances.” The court also noted the case raises “issues of exceptional importance” and will be reviewed by the full panel of appeals judges in an expedited process, bypassing the standard three-judge review. Oral arguments are set for July 31.
At the heart of the dispute is the 10% baseline tariff President Trump imposed on nearly all imports beginning April 2, after escalating duties targeting China, Canada, and Mexico. The administration says the tariffs are necessary to rebalance the global trade system and address what Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick described as a “$1.2 trillion trade deficit” that constitutes a national emergency.
The legal challenge originated after the U.S. Court of International Trade struck down the tariffs on May 28, ruling that IEEPA does not give the president unlimited authority to levy broad tariffs on virtually every country. The decision followed lawsuits filed by small businesses and attorneys general from 12 states who argued that Trump had exceeded his legal authority. The plaintiffs claim that longstanding trade imbalances do not meet the emergency threshold under IEEPA.
In response, the Trump administration appealed, and Tuesday’s stay allows the tariffs to remain in place as the case progresses. A separate district court ruling had previously blocked the tariffs in favor of two family-owned toy companies, but that decision is under appeal in the Fourth Circuit and remains unaffected by this ruling.
The administration maintains that tariffs are central to Trump’s economic and foreign policy agenda. “Rest assured, tariffs are not going away,” Secretary Lutnick told Fox News on June 1. “He has so many other authorities… Congress has given this authority to the president, and he’s going to use it.”
President Trump echoed that sentiment on Truth Social, warning that a judicial defeat could cripple U.S. economic sovereignty. “This would mean the Economic ruination of the United States of America,” he wrote, accusing foreign governments of attempting to hold America “hostage with their anti-American tariffs.”
The outcome of the appeals process could reshape the legal boundaries of presidential power over international trade, especially under emergency declarations. The full Federal Circuit will now weigh whether Trump’s sweeping use of IEEPA stands on firm constitutional ground or represents an overreach of executive authority.
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