Washington: The Trump administration has turned to the Supreme Court in a bid to defend its sweeping tariffs on India, framing the duties as “a crucial aspect” of its strategy to end the war in Ukraine. Court filings argue that the tariffs, imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), target India’s purchases of Russian energy products and are necessary to address a national emergency stemming from Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
On August 27, the administration had doubled tariffs on India to 50 percent half aimed at penalizing New Delhi for continuing Russian oil imports, and the other half under Trump’s broader “America First” agenda to reduce trade deficits. The filings assert that the tariffs have bolstered the US economy, portraying the country as “strong, financially viable, and respected” after facing what the president described as a “dead nation” a year ago.
Last week, a US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit deemed many of Trump’s tariffs illegal, ruling 7-4 that the president exceeded his authority in using emergency powers to impose wide-ranging duties. While the court allowed the tariffs to remain temporarily in place until mid-October, it set the stage for the administration’s appeal to the Supreme Court.
Trump criticized the appeals court ruling on Truth Social, claiming it was “incorrect” and vowing to fight back “with the help” of the Supreme Court. The administration’s court papers argue that revoking the tariffs prematurely could undermine US negotiating leverage and harm diplomatic credibility. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that suspending the tariffs could result in “dangerous diplomatic embarrassment.”
The legal battle underscores the intersection of trade policy and geopolitics, with the Trump administration presenting its economic measures as integral to its international strategy. If upheld, the tariffs could remain a central tool in pressuring India to curb energy imports from Russia, reflecting the broader US effort to influence the trajectory of the Ukraine conflict.
The Supreme Court is now positioned to decide whether the president’s emergency powers can legitimately underpin sweeping trade measures, a ruling that could have profound implications for US foreign policy and global trade law.