𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Donald Trump’s tariff war was ruled illegal by the US Supreme Court, sparking the biggest domestic crisis yet for the President. In a landmark ruling, the top justices concluded that President Trump had illegally used executive powers to impose the sweeping global tariffs, intended to be used only in an emergency.

The highest court in the land divided 6-3 against the President, despite a majority of the judges being appointed by Republican presidents. The news was condemned by President Trump as a “disgrace”, whose key economic policy now lies in tatters. In London, the news was greeted with tentative positivity, despite uncertainty about whether the tariffs may be reintroduced by the President using alternative powers.

A spokesman for Sir Keir Starmer’s Government said it would “continue to support UK businesses as further details are announced.

“The U.K. enjoyed the lowest reciprocal tariffs globally, and under any scenario, we expect our privileged trading position with the U.S. to continue.

“We will work with the Administration to understand how the ruling will affect tariffs for the UK and the rest of the world.”

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch was more bullish, saying she was “thrilled” by the news.

Speaking from her position as a former Secretary of State for Trade, Ms Badenoch said: “I’m thrilled. I speak as a former UK trade secretary for two years [who] signed lots of deals.”

“Everything we did was about bringing down tariffs, and when Donald Trump put up those tariffs, I said this is not the Republican way, it’s not what Ronald Reagan could have done.

“Tariffs are expensive for both sides. The consumer in the US pays more, as does the supplier in the UK or in other countries.

“So I hope that this holds.

“What we had wanted to do with the US was pursue a comprehensive free trade agreement, not the tiny tariff deal that Keir Starmer did, which left tariffs higher than they were when he came in.”

Following the ruling, the UK FTSE 100 market leapt, surpassing 10,700 for the first time ever.

Diageo, hurt from Trump’s tariffs on its Scottish whisky brands and tequila, rose 3.9%.

The US S&P 500 also rose 0.5% to 6,896 points.

But William Bain, head of trade policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, warned that the ruling actually “does little to clear the murky waters for businesses”.

He warned that President Trump could still try to reintroduce the tariffs by using the 1974 Trade Act.

Mr Bain added: “For the U.K., the?priority?remains?bringing?tariffs down wherever possible. It’s important the UK government continues to negotiate?on?issues like?steel and aluminium tariffs?and?reduces?the scope of other possible duties.”The move by the Supreme Court affects Britain’s trade with the States far less than most other countries, after Sir Keir secured the lowest tariffs of any country.

The EU, hit with tariffs around 15-20%, said it was seeking “clarity on the steps [the White House] intend to take in response to this ruling.”

Olof Gill, the European Commission spokesman for trade, said he would “continue to advocate for low tariffs and to work towards reducing them”.

Canada’s trade minister Dominic LeBlanc said the ruling “reinforces Canada’s position that the IEEPA tariffs imposed by the United States are unjustified.”

In America, Trump’s opponents delighted in the blow they had dealt to the President’s radical agenda.

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said the news was a win for “American consumers” and demanded that Trump now “end this reckless trade war for good and finally give families and small businesses the relief they deserve.”

Democrat senator Elizabeth Warren said that no decision by the court can “undo the massive damage that the Trump tariffs have done to small businesses, to American supply chains, and especially to American families forced to pay higher prices on everything from groceries to housing”.

Meanwhile libertarian Republican Senator Rand Paul, an outspoken rebel against the President’s protectionist trade policy, also welcomed the ruling, saying it prevents any future administration from using “emergency” powers “to get around Congress and tax by decree.”

The ruling now threatens major financial pain for the United States Treasury, which could have to pay back billions of dollars in tariff refunds.

The US has collected around $130 billion in tariffs according to the most recent government data, but the court did not say whether, or how, the Government should now return the dollars it has collected.