 "US President Donald Trump signs an executive order on tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC, US. (Photo: Reuters)")
After the US Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, the administration has urged partners to “stand by” trade deals that they have signed with the United States. They have maintained that trade deals are unaffected by the ruling even as partners have gone into a huddle.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CBS News that the administration expects partners to stick to agreements and added no one has yet walked away.
Greer said, “We expect our partners to stand by them. And I haven’t heard anyone yet come to me and say, ‘The deal’s off.’ They want to see how this plays out.”
Last week, the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) in a 6:3 judgement, ruling that it did not allow Trump to impose tariffs. In response, he announced a 10 per cent tariff on all countries under a different legal provision and then raised it to 15 per cent.
In the hearings in the Supreme Court, the administration had argued that an adverse ruling could lead to the undoing of trade deals in Trump’s second term.
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View AllGreer also criticised the Supreme Court for delivering a ruling without any guidance about refunds of tariffs —around $240 billion— collected from importers.
From EU to India, US trade partner assess options
After the Supreme Court’s ruling, various trade partners have gone into a huddle that had reached trade deals or handshake agreements with the United States.
In the clearest statement that the ruling could complicate matters, Malaysian trade minister Johari Abdul Ghani said the government has “signed the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade but have not ratified it and the Government is carefully assessing recent legal and policy developments in the United States.”
“We also note the recent announcement by President Donald Trump of a temporary 10 per cent tariff measure, and we are studying its scope and implications. At this stage, we are awaiting further clarity on how these measures will be implemented and whether additional adjustments will follow,” Ghani further said.
The EU will hold an emergency meeting on Monday to reassess the trade deal with the United States.
After the Supreme Court’s decision, India has also cancelled a scheduled visit of the chief negotiator to the United States to finalise the trade deal’s fineprint as the government is assessing the implications of the ruling.
In a sign that negotiations were not a done deal, Indonesia said the continuation of the trade deal “remains dependent on the decisions of both parties” with both sides still needing to ratify the arrangement domestically.