Hours after the U.S. Court of International Trade struck down President Donald Trump‘s tariffs on Thursday, another Washington-based federal judge blocked his attempt to exercise emergency powers to reshape trade policy.
What Happened: U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras, appointed by former President Barack Obama, ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not grant Trump the authority to impose or adjust tariffs without approval from Congress, according to a report by The Hill.
Trump had invoked the 1977 law to validate sweeping tariffs on foreign goods, referring to trade imbalances and fentanyl imports as threats to national security.
“This case is not about tariffs qua tariffs,” Contreras wrote in a 33-page document. …