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| ▲ U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at the White House in Washington on Feb. 20, 2026, in this photo released by Reuters. (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) Trump-tariff ruling
(LEAD) Trump says he will use Section 122 of 1974 Trade Act to impose additional 10 pct global tariff
(ATTN: CHANGES photo; UPDATES throughout)
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration will impose an additional 10 percent global tariff and initiate other measures to help replace the sweeping emergency levies that the Supreme Court struck down.
Speaking to the press, Trump stressed that his administration has "even stronger measures" than the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), as the high court invalidated his IEEPA-based tariffs, including "reciprocal" tariffs on South Korea and other countries, in what he called a "deeply disappointing" ruling.
"Today, I will sign an order to impose a 10 percent global tariff under Section 122 over and above our normal tariffs already being charged," Trump said, referring to the 1974 Trade Act provision that enables the president to impose import restrictions, including tariffs.
"We're also initiating several Section 301, and other investigations to protect our country from unfair trading practices of other countries and companies," he added, also referring to the 1974 Trade Act.
The president said that the planned 10-percent tariff may go into effect "three days from now."
Under Section 122, the president can impose import surcharges of up to 15 percent, and other measures, such as import quotas, to address serious external trade and financial imbalances. Those measures can initially last for up to five months.
"During that period of five months, we are doing the various investigations necessary to put fair tariffs or tariffs ... on other countries," Trump said. "So we are doing that period, but we're immediately instituting the 10 percent provision, which we are allowed to do."
Trump said that the court's decision might "not substantially constrain a president's ability to order tariffs going forward" as he underscored that his administration has "numerous" other tools at its disposal to impose duties.
"The good news is that there are methods, practices, statutes and authorities, as recognized by the entire court and also is recognized by Congress, that are even stronger than the IEEPA tariffs available to me as the president of the United States," he said.
As for other legal tools that his administration can resort to for tariffs, he outlined a series of legal provisions, including Section 122, 201 and 301 of the 1974 Trade Act and Section 338 of the 1930 Tariff Act.
He claimed that following the court ruling, that foreign countries that have been "ripping us off," are "ecstatic."
"They are so happy, and they are dancing in the streets, but they won't be dancing for long," he said. "I can assure you."
Trump also said that the court has been "swayed by foreign interests and a political movement that is far smaller than people would ever think."
In April, Trump announced his IEEPA-based reciprocal tariff plan, arguing that a lack of "reciprocity" in trade with trading partners and their trade barriers led to "large" and "persistent" trade deficits, which he said posed an "unusual" and "extraordinary" threat to U.S. national security and the economy.
But the high court said that the framers of the U.S. Constitution gave "Congress alone" the power to impose tariffs during peacetime, and that the foreign affairs implications of tariffs do not make it any more likely that Congress would relinquish its tariff power "through vague language, or without careful limits."
The Trump administration has levied reciprocal tariffs of 15 percent on South Korean products, down from 25 percent following a bilateral deal under which Seoul committed to investing US$350 billion in the U.S., among other pledges, in return for the tariff reduction.
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