The US Supreme Court on Wednesday heard arguments on whether the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) allows the president to impose unrestricted tariffs after declaring a national emergency. Observers believed some conservative justices appeared skeptical of the government’s interpretation of IEEPA, which plaintiff lawyers argued bypassed Congress’ constitutional authority to set tariffs.
“While no clear outcome emerged, the line of questioning aligned more with the challengers’ position,” Bracewell’s Josh Zive told Supply Chain Dive, noting that no major new hurdles appeared and Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Justice Neil Gorsuch leaned favorably for the plaintiffs.
