President Donald Trump on Friday reacted to the Supreme Court’s ruling on tariffs, announcing an additional 10% global tariff under Section 122. The 79-year-old mentioned two more sections during his press conference – Section 232 and Section 301. This comes after SCOTUS ruled that Trump exceeded his authority to impose the ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs.
Trump also slammed the six Supreme Court justices, saying he was ‘ashamed of certain members of the court’ and said some of the justices were ‘frankly a disgrace to our nation’.
“They’re very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution,” Trump said.
What are Sections 232, 301 and 122?
Trump said Section 232 and all existing Section 301 tariffs remain fully in place and in full force and effect. “Today, I will sign an order to impose a 10% global tariff under Section 122.”
Section 232, Section 301, and Section 122 are three key US laws that grant the president authority to impose tariffs under specific conditions. President Trump frequently used or threatened them during his term.
Section 232 (Trade Expansion Act of 1962): Allows tariffs or quotas on imports that threaten national security. Trump invoked it for 25% steel and 10% aluminum tariffs (2018), affecting Canada, Mexico, EU, and others. These remain in place after recent Supreme Court rulings, as they are separate from emergency powers.
Section 301 (Trade Act of 1974): Permits tariffs in response to unfair foreign trade practices, such as intellectual property theft, forced technology transfers, or discriminatory measures. Trump used it extensively against China (up to 25% on hundreds of billions in goods), targeting anticompetitive behavior.
Section 122 (Trade Act of 1974): Authorizes temporary import surcharges up to 15% (or quotas) to address large and serious US balance-of-payments deficits or international payments problems. It lasts 150 days unless Congress extends it. Never used before, but after the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s broader IEEPA tariffs, Trump announced a new 10% “global tariff” under Section 122 to replace the voided ones.
