Trump vows tariffs, licensing threats against foreign countries Despite Supreme Court ruling

US President Donald Trump has said he will continue using tariffs against other countries despite the Supreme Court of the United States striking down part of the duties, and may also begin applying licenses to exert pressure on foreign governments. 

In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump criticised the Supreme Court, calling its recent decision “ridiculous, dumb, and very internationally divisive,” while also claiming it had inadvertently strengthened his executive powers. “The Supreme Court… accidentally and unwittingly gave me, as President of the United States, far more powers and strength than I had prior to their… ruling,” he wrote.

The president argued that the ruling would allow him to take tougher action against foreign governments through licensing and tariffs. “For one thing, I can use Licenses to do absolutely ‘terrible’ things to foreign countries, especially those countries that have been RIPPING US OFF for many decades,” he said, while expressing frustration that the court’s decision allegedly prevents the US from charging a license fee. “BUT ALL LICENSES CHARGE FEES, why can’t the United States do so? You do a license to get a fee!”

Trump also claimed that the court had “approved all other Tariffs, of which there are many,” which he suggested could now be applied “in a much more powerful and obnoxious way, with legal certainty, than the Tariffs as initially used.”

Despite acknowledging the potential benefits of the ruling for his administration, Trump accused the court of favouring the “wrong people” and said it should be “ashamed of themselves (but not the Great Three!).”

Turning to another contentious issue, Trump warned that the Supreme Court might next rule in favour of China and other countries regarding birthright citizenship. He argued that the 14th Amendment was intended to protect “the ‘babies of slaves,’” noting “the EXACT TIMING of its construction, filing, and ratification, which perfectly coincided with the END OF THE CIVIL WAR.” He added that a contrary decision could make foreign nations “happy and rich.”

Concluding his remarks, Trump declared: “Let our Supreme Court keep making decisions that are so bad and deleterious to the future of our Nation — I have a job to do. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Earlier, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced it would stop collecting tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) at 12:01 a.m. EST (0501 GMT) on February 24, over three days after the Supreme Court ruled the duties illegal on February 20.

By Aghakazim Guliyev