A federal appeals court on Thursday ruled a temporary stay on a lower court’s decision that had invalidated most of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit approved the administration’s emergency request to pause the lower-court ruling, which had struck down sweeping tariffs imposed by Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
Earlier this week, the Court of International Trade determined that Trump had overstepped his authority under IEEPA, halting the implementation of broad tariffs on goods from China, Mexico, Canada, and several other nations. The ruling left in place only the Section 232 tariffs on autos, steel, and aluminum that were imposed under separate national security justifications.
In response, the Trump administration urged the Federal Circuit to step in, warning that if the decision wasn’t paused immediately, they would escalate the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court as soon as Friday to seek emergency relief.
The appeals court’s decision now gives the Trump administration temporary breathing room as they prepare to defend the tariffs in higher courts. A full appeal is expected, and the matter could ultimately land before the Supreme Court for a final resolution.