$165bn in tariff revenue: Stopgap relief or legal mirage for America’s budget crisis?

President Donald Trump’s most notable bid to rein in America’s surging deficit, such as sweeping tariffs on imports, has delivered the US Treasury an unexpected cash infusion. But a looming Supreme Court showdown threatens to turn that windfall into a temporary illusion, exposing the fragility of Washington’s fiscal strategy.

A short-term boost

At the heart of President Donald Trump’s fiscal plan is the argument that a combination of tax cuts and deregulation will spur economic growth and boost federal revenue. While many economists remain sceptical of those projections, the recent surge in customs duties is undeniable.

According to Treasury Department figures, tariff revenue for the 2025 fiscal year has already hit $165 billion with a month still to go, a dramatic $95 billion increase from the previous year. The surge stems largely from tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a mechanism Trump used to bypass Congress and expand executive control over trade policy.

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For the White House, this revenue stream is proof that tariffs can do more than reshape global trade, they can also plug holes in the budget. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argues the measures could stabilise at about $300 billion annually, roughly 1% of US GDP. At a time when the deficit has soared to more than 6% of GDP, he contends, tariff proceeds could be a cornerstone of reducing the shortfall to nearer 3% over the next decade.

A legal time bomb

That outlook, however, now rests with the judiciary. A federal appeals court ruling in August found Trump’s use of IEEPA may have overstepped presidential authority. The Supreme Court has agreed to review the case, with a decision expected in the coming months.

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If the justices strike down the tariffs, the government could be forced to refund tens of billions of dollars to importers, erasing the most tangible fiscal gain of Trump’s deficit strategy.

Bessent insists the administration is confident of victory, but economists warn that the stakes are high. “If the court case goes against the Treasury and the administration doesn’t want to see the deficit continue to rise, there are going to be policy responses of some sort — we just don’t know what they are,” said Lou Crandall, chief economist at Wrightson ICAP.

Deficit pressures remain heavy

Even with the tariff windfall, America’s finances remain precarious. The budget gap has already reached nearly $2 trillion in the first 11 months of fiscal 2025. Tariff revenues, while meaningful, pale in comparison with the scale of federal borrowing.

Critics also stress that the burden of duties falls primarily on U.S. importers and consumers, raising costs across supply chains. Economists remain sceptical of the administration’s broader claim that tax cuts, deregulation and foreign investment pledges will accelerate growth enough to offset fiscal risks.

Without tariff revenue, Washington would be left relying on optimistic growth projections — a thin foundation for managing deficits of this magnitude.

Markets watch cautiously

For now, financial markets are taking a relatively calm stance. Bond investors are more focused on the Federal Reserve’s expected interest-rate cuts, which have pushed yields lower across maturities. Still, the Supreme Court’s eventual ruling could rapidly reshape investor sentiment by stripping away a significant cash inflow to the Treasury.

The administration, meanwhile, may not be without options. Trade experts note that Trump could seek to rebuild parts of his tariff programme using other legal authorities, such as Section 232 (national security) or Section 301 (unfair trade practices). These pathways, however, are narrower and may not replicate the same scale of revenue.

A fragile fiscal experiment

At its core, Trump’s tariff strategy highlights the unusual use of trade policy as a fiscal tool. Supporters see it as an innovative way to extract resources from global commerce; opponents warn it is both economically distortive and legally precarious.

What is clear is that the $165bn tariff windfall may be less a permanent fix than a high-stakes gamble. If upheld, it could mark a cornerstone of Trump’s bid to restore fiscal discipline. If overturned, it will underscore just how dependent America’s deficit strategy has become on contested executive authority and leave Washington searching for alternatives.