Trump introduces temporary 10% global tariff

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order introducing a “temporary” 10-per cent global tariff, seeking to preserve key elements of his trade policy after the US Supreme Court struck down much of last year’s tariff regime.

Announcing the move on Truth Social, Trump said he had signed the measure in the Oval Office and that the tariff would take effect almost immediately.

The administration is relying on Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which permits the president to impose tariffs of up to 15 per cent in response to a “large and serious balance-of-payments deficit.” According to a White House fact sheet, such tariffs may remain in force for a maximum of 150 days unless Congress approves an extension.

The decision follows a 6–3 ruling by the Supreme Court rejecting the administration’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act as legal grounds for earlier global tariffs. The new order is intended to maintain much of the existing tariff structure despite the court’s setback.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump stressed that previously imposed trade measures would remain unchanged. “Effective immediately, all national security tariffs under Section 232, and existing Section 301 tariffs — they’re existing, they’re there — remain in place, fully in place, and in full force and effect,” he said. He added that the new 10-per cent global tariff under Section 122 would be applied in addition to existing duties and confirmed that new Section 301 and related investigations were being launched to counter what he described as unfair trading practices.

The tariffs are scheduled to enter into force at 12:01 a.m. on February 24.

According to the White House, exemptions largely mirror those attached to the tariffs invalidated by the court, excluding certain goods in sectors such as energy, pharmaceuticals, automobiles and aerospace. Products from North American partners complying with the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement — the trade pact signed during Trump’s first term — will also be shielded.

However, the new legal basis limits presidential flexibility. By law, tariffs imposed under Section 122 must be nondiscriminatory, meaning Washington cannot selectively grant exemptions to individual trading partners.

In prepared remarks for a speech in Dallas, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said tariffs introduced under Section 122, together with existing measures under Sections 232 and 301, were expected to leave overall tariff revenues in 2026 “virtually unchanged.”

Trump also confirmed the launch of investigations into the trade practices of unspecified countries, a process that could ultimately lead to higher tariffs on partners such as Japan, the European Union and Canada. He said the probes would unfold over several months.

Meanwhile, the administration is maintaining sector-specific tariffs covering industries including automobiles and auto parts, steel and aluminium, copper and softwood lumber — measures that officials say have helped push trading partners toward negotiating trade agreements.

“We have a lot of tools out there,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said during the White House briefing, adding that further steps aimed at ensuring continuity in the tariff program would be announced in the coming weeks.

By Tamilla Hasanova