Washington: President Donald Trump on Monday issued a stern warning to foreign nations, threatening to impose even more severe import duties on those that attempt to "play games" following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that dismantled his signature global tariff policy.

The President’s social media broadside follows a historic 6-3 judicial setback on Friday, in which the high court ruled his administration had overstepped its legal authority by using emergency national security laws to bypass Congress and tax nearly all imports.

 

"Any Country that wants to 'play games' with the ridiculous supreme court decision, especially those that have 'Ripped Off' the U.S.A. for years, and even decades, will be met with a much higher Tariff, and worse, than that which they just recently agreed to," Trump posted on Truth Social.

The 150-Day Pivot

The administration has already moved to bypass the court’s ruling by shifting to alternative legal authorities. Over the weekend, the White House announced a new 15% global baseline tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, a statute that allows for temporary 150-day surcharges to address balance-of-payment emergencies.

The new 15% rate is notably higher than the 10% levy previously imposed under the now-invalidated framework. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is scheduled to begin collecting the new duties at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24.

International Fallout

Trump’s latest threats appear aimed at preventing trading partners from walking away from trade deals negotiated under the pressure of the previous, now-illegal tariffs.

The European Commission and the Chinese Commerce Ministry have both signalled they are reviewing the legal standing of those agreements in light of the court’s decision. Earlier on Monday, a spokesperson for the European Commission noted that "a deal is a deal," but emphasised that the U.S. must provide "full clarity" on how the new 15% surcharge relates to existing transatlantic trade commitments.

In his post, Trump signalled he would view any attempt to renegotiate or ignore those prior agreements as an act of bad faith, justifying further economic retaliation. "The hunt continues," he added in a separate post, "those who seek to disturb our economic peace will find no sanctuary."

With inputs from AFP