US President Donald Trump has warned that countries attempting to back away from recent trade commitments could face steeper tariffs, following a Supreme Court ruling that blocked most of the broad import levies he imposed last year.
Trump’s warning came as governments around the world reassessed the status of tariffs and trade agreements after the Supreme Court of the United States last week struck down the bulk of the duties introduced under a 1977 emergency law. The ruling said the statute did not give the president authority to impose the sweeping measures.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump cautioned countries against using the court decision to retreat from deals negotiated in response to last year’s tariffs. He said any nation that “plays games” with the ruling would be met with tariffs higher than those recently agreed.
The decision has injected fresh uncertainty into global trade. The European Union said on Monday it would suspend ratification of a trade deal agreed with Washington last summer, while India said it would delay talks aimed at finalising a recent agreement.
The ruling has not altered the White House’s broader trade stance, officials said. Trump has already announced a new global tariff of 15 percent, introduced using a different legal authority, which is due to take effect this week. Some products are exempt, and the measure is set to expire after 150 days unless Congress approves an extension.
Countries that negotiated reduced tariffs in exchange for investment pledges or market access concessions are now seeking clarity on whether those arrangements still stand. The UK said it was pressing US officials for confirmation that its agreement, which set tariffs at 10 percent, would remain in force.
UK Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said the latest US announcement had created uncertainty and that London was considering all options to protect businesses and consumers.
Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament’s trade committee, said approval of the EU-US deal had been paused while lawmakers sought clarity, describing the situation as more uncertain than ever.
Trump has moved to rely on other legal tools to maintain his tariff agenda, including invoking Section 122, which allows temporary tariffs without congressional approval, and ordering investigations under Section 301 into alleged unfair trade practices.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the administration had found ways to continue its policy despite the court setback, adding that while the legal mechanisms may change, the underlying approach would not.
Financial markets reacted nervously to the uncertainty, with US stocks falling on Monday. Meanwhile, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats would oppose any attempt to extend the new tariffs, arguing they would deepen economic harm.
Trump, however, has insisted he does not need congressional approval to impose tariffs, signalling that trade tensions are likely to persist in the coming months.
With inputs from BBC