President Donald Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to overturn a lower court decision that found many of his sweeping tariffs were illegal.<\/p>\n
In a petition filed late on Wednesday, the administration asked the justices to quickly intervene to rule that the president has the power to impose such import taxes on foreign nations.<\/p>\n
A divided US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit last week ruled 7-4 that the tariffs Trump brought in through an emergency economic powers act did not fall within the president’s mandate and that setting levies was “a core Congressional power”.<\/p>\n
The case could upend Trump’s economic and foreign policy agenda and force the US to refund billions in tariffs. <\/p>\n
Trump had justified the tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which gives the president the power to act against “unusual and extraordinary” threats.<\/p>\n
In April, Trump declared an economic emergency, arguing that a trade imbalance had undermined domestic manufacturing and was harmful to national security. <\/p>\n
While the appellate court ruled against the president, it postponed its decision from taking effect, allowing the Trump administration time to file an appeal. <\/p>\n
“The stakes in this case could not be higher,” Solicitor General John Sauer said in Wednesday night’s filing.<\/p>\n
He wrote that the lower court’s “erroneous decision has disrupted highly impactful, sensitive, ongoing diplomatic trade negotiations, and cast a pall of legal uncertainty over the President’s efforts to protect our country by preventing an unprecedented economic and foreign policy crisis”.<\/p>\n
Lawyers representing small businesses challenging the tariffs said they were confident they would win the case.<\/p>\n
“These unlawful tariffs are inflicting serious harm on small businesses and jeopardising their survival,” said Jeffrey Schwab of Liberty Justice Center. “We hope for a prompt resolution of this case for our clients.”<\/p>\n
If the Supreme Court justices deny the review, the ruling could take effect on 14 October. <\/p>\n