Donald Trump has raised the new blanket US import tariff to 15 per cent, increasing it from the 10 per cent level he announced a day earlier after the Supreme Court ruled that his earlier global tariff regime was unlawful. The latest increase was announced on Saturday, 21 February 2026, in a post on Truth Social.
The move follows a major legal defeat for the White House on Friday, 20 February, when the US Supreme Court held that the President could not use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) as the legal basis for broad import tariffs. The ruling removed the foundation for a central part of Trump’s trade policy and forced the administration to shift quickly to an alternative statutory route.
In practical terms, the new 15 per cent measure appears to be the administration’s immediate replacement for the tariff framework struck down by the Court. On Friday, Trump had first announced a temporary 10 per cent tariff using Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, a provision that allows a president to impose limited import restrictions in response to balance-of-payments concerns. That law caps the tariff rate at 15 per cent and limits its duration to 150 days unless Congress authorises an extension. By Saturday, Trump moved to the maximum rate permitted under that provision.
This means there is now greater legal and political pressure on the administration to use the 150-day period to build tariff actions under other statutes that are more firmly established in US trade law. The White House intends to pursue additional tariff measures through routes tied to national security and unfair trade practices, rather than relying on emergency powers of the kind rejected by the Court.
There are also immediate practical questions for businesses. The Supreme Court ruling affects tariffs collected under the now-invalid IEEPA-based regime, and the administration has indicated that any refund process for importers may be lengthy and complex. Treasury officials expect disputes over previously collected duties and reimbursement procedures to take time to resolve.
For trading partners, the change is significant but mixed. A flat 15 per cent global tariff is lower than some of the country-specific or elevated rates that existed under earlier Trump tariff actions, but it still represents a substantial across-the-board cost increase for exporters shipping goods into the United States. The Financial Times reported concern in the UK about the impact on exporters, particularly because some countries had expected a lower temporary baseline after Friday’s announcement.
Reports also indicate that some categories may remain exempt or treated differently, including products already covered by separate tariff regimes and certain strategically sensitive goods. However, the scope and implementation details depend on formal customs instructions and legal notices, which means companies are still watching for clarification on product coverage, timing, and exclusions.
Politically, the episode underscores a wider institutional conflict over the limits of presidential trade authority. Reuters described the ruling as a reassertion of judicial checks on executive power, while the administration has responded by using a narrower but still forceful legal mechanism to maintain tariffs as a core policy instrument.
What is new since the earlier reports, therefore, is not a change in direction but an escalation in the rate: Trump has now confirmed 15 per cent, not 10 per cent, as the temporary global tariff level after the Supreme Court defeat. The legal basis has shifted from IEEPA to Section 122, the duration is constrained by statute, and the administration is expected to use that window to prepare further tariff actions under alternative laws.
For the EU and other major exporters, the immediate issue is less whether Washington will continue using tariffs — that appears clear — than how durable the new framework will be once the 150-day period expires, and whether Congress, the courts, or future litigation alter the administration’s next steps.
