WASHINGTON — As the Supreme Court weighs the legality of some of his sweeping tariffs, President Donald Trump took to social media Friday morning to tout the import taxes he has imposed on a wide range of products from most countries around the world.
“Tariffs are an overwhelming benefit to our Nation, as they have been incredible for our National Security and Prosperity (like nobody has ever seen before!),” the president wrote on his Truth social platform Friday morning.
Customs and Border Protection recently estimated it collected more than $200 billion from new tariffs last year.
Trump’s comments come days after he and his administration made moves to delay and reduce import duties on several products coming into the U.S.
Supreme Court to decide fate of IEEPA tariffs
In his post Friday morning, Trump warned of potential repercussions should the Supreme Court ultimately invalidate tariffs he imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA.
“Losing our ability to Tariff other countries who treat us unfairly would be a terrible blow to the United States of America,” he wrote.
Trump’s import duties have faced a number of legal challenges — with several lawsuits working their way through federal courts before a consolidated case, including a group of small businesses and Democratic-led states, ultimately landed on the Supreme Court’s docket.
The nine-member panel heard oral arguments in November about Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs — as well as the import taxes levied on China, Mexico and Canada over what his administration described as “the flow of contraband drugs like fentanyl to the United States.” Both situations, the president said in his executive orders, constituted national emergencies prompting his intervention.
In front of the Supreme Court, lawyers for the plaintiffs argued that Congress — and not the president — has the sole authority to impose taxes, while U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer contended that the “power to regulate foreign commerce” and not “the power to tax” was the heart of the case, calling for the justices to find in favor of the federal government.
The proceedings also included discussion about the logistics of potential refunds to importers, which Justice Amy Coney Barrett speculated would be “a mess.”
In recent weeks, some businesses, including Costco, Revlon and Bumble Bee Foods Inc. have sought to protect their right to refunds should the court rule against the tariffs by challenging the liquidation deadlines, or the timeline for the final computation of tariffs on goods brought into the country. The businesses argue that it may be more difficult to get their money back if liquidation has occurred.
It is unclear when the Supreme Court will issue its decision, but a ruling is expected to come some time before the end of the current term in June.
Commerce Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview last month that he expected the Supreme Court’s opinion to come in January.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been developing a plan to impose tariffs under other trade laws if the nation’s highest court invalidates the IEPPA tariffs, the Financial Times reported earlier this week.
How much money have tariffs brought in?
Customs and Border Protection announced in December that it had collected more than $200 billion in import taxes between Jan. 20 and Dec. 15, crediting dozens of executive orders issued by Trump since he began his second term.
Of that figure, nearly half — about $82 million — came from tariffs Trump announced April 1 with varying rates for most U.S. trading partners around the world, according to CBP data.
Levies imposed on imports from China, Mexico and Canada brought in $37.87 billion, $6.481 billion and $2.422 billion, respectively, CBP reported.
The agency said it has also collected about $972 million in separate import duties on goods from Brazil, $1.994 billion on products from India and $2.029 billion on items from Japan.
Trump announced in July he was placing tariffs on Brazilian imports, in part over the country’s prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro. About a week later, Trump said goods from India would have additional duties when brought into the U.S. because India continued to purchase Russian oil.
In September, Trump issued an executive order about the trade agreement between the United States and Japan, saying that its products would have a 15% tariff rate applied retroactively to items imported from Aug. 7 and onward.
Importers get tariff breaks on Italian pasta and foreign furniture
The Commerce Department announced Wednesday it would slash proposed tariffs for Italian pasta –– from a rate of 107% — after completing a preliminary antidumping investigation into 13 Italian businesses.
Products from Garofalo and La Molisana will tentatively have import tax rates of 13.89% and 2.26%, respectively, while imports into the U.S. from the other 11 businesses will have a tariff rate of 9.09% — in addition to the general 15% import tax rate on goods from the European Union. The Commerce Department noted a final decision on the pasta tariffs is scheduled for March 12.
Trump separately signed a New Year’s Eve proclamation delaying increases in duties on upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities for one year.