A US federal appeals court has ruled that most of the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on a wide range of trading partners were unlawful — though it allowed them to remain in place for now, AFP reported.

In a 7-4 decision, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld a lower court’s finding that Trump had exceeded his authority by invoking emergency economic powers to levy sweeping tariffs.

The judges, however, permitted the duties to stay in effect until mid-October, giving the parties time to take the case to the Supreme Court.

The ruling represents a setback for the Republican president, who has relied heavily on tariffs as a central tool of his economic policy. It also casts doubt on trade agreements Trump has struck with key partners, including the European Union.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs on nearly all US trading partners, setting a baseline of 10 percent and higher rates for dozens of economies.

The court emphasized that “the statute grants the President significant powers to respond to a declared national emergency, but these do not explicitly include the authority to impose tariffs, duties, or similar levies, nor the power to tax.”

Back in May, the US Court of International Trade had already ruled that Trump overstepped his authority by introducing blanket global tariffs without distinction. | BGNES