Washington, Feb. 21, 2026 — President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he is raising a new global tariff to 15%, effective immediately, following a Supreme Court decision that struck down most of his previous second-term tariffs.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that the administration did not have authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose broad tariffs. In response, Trump reinstated a 10% global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, then increased the rate to 15% one day later.
Section 122 allows the president to impose tariffs of up to 15% for 150 days. After that period, congressional approval is required to extend them. The administration has said it plans to transition to Section 301 of the Trade Act, which would allow longer-lasting tariffs but requires formal investigations before implementation.
In a social media post, Trump said the tariff increase followed a “thorough” review of the court’s decision and vowed to continue pursuing what he described as legally permissible trade measures.
The White House said certain goods will be exempt from the new tariffs, including some agricultural products, goods covered under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and items already subject to national security tariffs such as steel, aluminum and automobiles.
The 6-3 Supreme Court decision was written by Chief Justice John Roberts. The ruling did not address whether previously collected tariff revenue must be refunded, leaving uncertainty for businesses and trading partners.
The tariff increase brings the global rate in line with 15% tariffs included in trade agreements reached in 2025 with the European Union, Japan and South Korea.
The administration has not yet specified which countries could face longer-term tariffs under Section 301. Investigations required under that provision typically take a year or more to compl
