SCOTUS Strikes Down Trump’s Trade Tariffs

About this episode

This episode discusses the Supreme Court's ruling on the legality of tariffs imposed by the U.S. President and its implications for global business.

On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled that the U.S. President cannot use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose broad tariffs. That decision removes a key legal basis behind the 2025 tariff program— but it does not remove uncertainty for global business. In this episode of Down to Business English, Skip Montreux and Samantha Vega get Down to Business with the court decision that reshaped the U.S. tariff story. They review the timeline of how the tariff policy expanded in 2025 — including reciprocal tariffs that ranged from 10% to 50% and were framed as a response to U.S. trade deficits. Then they break down the Court’s main point in plain English: “regulating” trade is not the same thing as taxing imports — and under the U.S. Constitution, Congress (not the President) controls taxes and duties. Finally, they look at how other countries are reacting and ask the next big business question: if companies paid tariffs under IEEPA, what happens now — and will refunds be possible? Skip and Samantha's conversation gives listeners a clear, practical look at tariff policy — while helping you build your Business English. In…

People in this episode

Hosts: Skip Montreux, Samantha Vega

Topics covered

• U.S. tariff policy
• Supreme Court ruling
• International trade
• Economic powers
• Tariff refunds
• Global business impact

Keywords

• SCOTUS
• IEEPA
• tariffs
• trade policy
• economic powers
• tariff refunds
• global business
• Donald Trump

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Supreme Court of the United States, International Emergency Economic Powers Act

Places: United States

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