(LEAD) Trump says almost all countries want to keep trade deals with U.S., hints at 'even stronger' tariffs

▲ President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 24, 2026, in this Associated Press photo. (Yonhap)

▲ U.S. President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 24, 2026, in this photo released by UPI. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

▲ U.S. President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 24, 2026, in this AFP-Getty Images photo. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Trump-congressional address

(LEAD) Trump says almost all countries want to keep trade deals with U.S., hints at 'even stronger' tariffs

(ATTN: CHANGES dateline; RECASTS headline; ADDS photos; UPDATES throughout)

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has said that almost all countries want to keep bilateral trade deals with the United States, knowing that his legal power as president to make a new deal could be "far worse."

Trump made the remarks during his first State of the Union address in his second term on Tuesday, after the Supreme Court ruled Friday against his use of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to justify country-specific "reciprocal" tariffs and other duties.

The court decision has raised questions over its potential ramifications on the deals with America's trading partners that the Trump administration has clinched using IEEPA-based tariffs as a pivotal negotiating lever. Trump called the ruling "very unfortunate" and "disappointing."

"The good news is that almost all countries and corporations want to keep the deal that they already made ... knowing that the legal power that I as president have to make a new deal could be far worse for them," Trump said during the address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber.

"And therefore, they will continue to work along the same successful path that we had negotiated before the Supreme Court's unfortunate involvement," he added.

The president reiterated that his administration has other legal tools than the IEEPA to maintain his tariff policy.

"(Tariffs) will remain in place under fully approved and tested alternative legal statutes, and they have been tested for a long time. They are a little more complex, but they are actually probably better, leading to a solution that will be even stronger than before," he said.

"Congressional action will not be necessary. It's already time-tested and approved."

Following the high court's ruling, the Trump administration quickly moved to replace the invalidated IEEPA tariffs with other duties under different legal provisions.

On Tuesday, it started imposing a temporary 10 percent global tariff under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act. It is expected to raise the rate to 15 percent as Trump has threatened to do so.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has also unveiled plans to conduct trade investigations under Section 301 of the same act, which he said are expected to cover "most major trading partners" and address areas of concern, including discrimination against U.S. tech firms and digital goods and services.

Trump has been leveraging tariffs as a centerpiece of his administration's efforts to reduce America's trade deficits, bolster domestic manufacturing and foreign investments, and increase federal revenue.

"As time goes by, I believe tariffs paid for by foreign countries will, like in the past, substantially replace the modern-day system of income tax, taking a great financial burden off the people that I love," he said.

"Moving forward, factories, jobs and investment and trillions and trillions of dollars will continue pouring into the United States of American because we finally have a president who puts America first."

Trump used the address to underscore progress in his policy efforts to improve the economy, address illegal immigration, strengthen the military, promote global peace and increase foreign investments, while repeating the claim that he had inherited a "nation in crisis" from former President Joe Biden.

"Our nation is back, bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before," he said, stressing that the U.S. will do "better and better."

"This is the golden age of America," he said.

On the security front, he trumpeted his administration's efforts to help end world conflicts, including those between Israel and Iran; Armenia and Azerbaijan; Egypt and Ethiopia; and Pakistan and India, to name a few.

"As president, I will make peace wherever I can, but I will never hesitate to confront threats to America wherever we must," he said.

"That's why, in a breakthrough operation last year, the U.S. military obliterated Iran's nuclear weapons program with an attack on Iranian soil, known as Operation Midnight Hammer," he added, referring to the U.S. military strike on Iranian nuclear sites in June.

During the address, Trump did not mention North Korea. He also did not refer to the recalcitrant regime during his address to the joint session of Congress in March last year.

He briefly touched on Korea as he honored former Navy pilot Royce Williams who served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War

"In the skies over Korea in 1952, Royce was in the dogfight of a lifetime ... legendary dogfight," he said, referring to his combat role during the 1950-53 conflict on the Korean Peninsula.

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