Washington, September 10 (HS) The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear a landmark case testing whether former President Donald Trump had the legal authority to impose sweeping global tariffs under emergency powers, in a ruling that could reshape presidential authority over trade and force Washington to refund billions of dollars in duties.

The justices announced Tuesday that they would hear arguments in the first week of November on Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to levy tariffs of 10% to 50% on dozens of US trading partners, including China, Mexico, and Canada. The expedited hearing timetable highlights the case’s national and international importance.

A federal appeals court had ruled last month that Trump exceeded his legal authority, saying the power to impose tariffs rests with Congress. That decision left key elements of Trump’s signature economic policy hanging in the balance, while billions in tariff revenues continue to be collected.

The challenge was brought by small businesses and a coalition of states, arguing that trade deficits and imbalances did not constitute the kind of “extraordinary threat” envisioned by the 1977 IEEPA statute. Trump maintained that the imbalance endangered US national security and therefore justified an emergency intervention.

If the Supreme Court sides with the lower courts, the decision could trigger a refund of billions in import taxes and throw into disarray existing and negotiated trade deals with partners including the UK, Japan, and India. While Trump’s administration has other mechanisms for targeted tariffs—such as those on steel and aluminium—its use of IEEPA for broad-based global levies marked a first among US presidents.

The court’s ruling will mark its most significant evaluation yet of Trump’s sweeping claims of presidential authority. While the conservative-majority court has previously accommodated Trump’s emergency requests and temporary policies, this will be the first time it directly examines the legal foundation of one of his central economic strategies.

Shortly after the court’s announcement, Trump said on Truth Social that talks with India were continuing, adding, “I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion.”

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar