The US Supreme Court is poised to deliver key rulings on Donald Trump’s global tariff policy, a closely watched case that could redefine the limits of presidential power and carry major implications for international trade and the global economy.
The US Supreme Court is set to resume issuing decisions on 20 January 2026 regarding the legality of former President Donald Trump’s broad global tariff policies.
According to a notice posted on the court’s website on Friday, the justices may deliver rulings in cases that have already been argued when they reconvene for a scheduled session next Tuesday.
As is standard practice, the court has not disclosed which specific cases will be decided on that day.
The US Supreme Court was expected to issue a new set of rulings on 14 January 2026, with one of the most closely watched decisions focusing on the legality of President Donald Trump’s global tariff regime.
The tariffs dispute is seen as a major test of presidential power and the Supreme Court’s willingness to limit executive authority after Donald Trump’s return to office. The decision could also have wide-ranging effects on global trade and the international economy.
During hearings in November, justices from both conservative and liberal camps questioned the administration’s reliance on a 1977 emergency law to justify the tariffs.
Lower courts have already found that Trump went beyond his legal authority, prompting his administration to appeal. In August 2025, a federal appeals court ruled that most of the tariffs were unlawful but allowed them to remain in place temporarily while the case moved to the Supreme Court.
The tariffs were imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, with the administration arguing that persistent trade deficits constitute a national emergency. The same law was also used to justify duties on imports from China, Canada, and Mexico, linked to concerns over fentanyl and other illicit drug flows.
