But a senior financial official in Hong Kong described the US situation as a “fiasco”. Before the Supreme Court ruling, Trump’s tariff push had strained Washington’s diplomatic relations across Asia, particularly for export-reliant economies integrated into US-bound supply chains. The trade policy monitor Global Trade Alert estimated that by itself, the ruling cuts the trade-weighted average US tariff almost in half, from 15.4% to 8.3%. Analysts say the Supreme Court’s ruling against Trump’s more aggressive tariff measures may offer little relief for the global economy. ​They warned of looming confusion as trading nations brace for moves by Trump to find other means of using levies to circumvent the ruling.

Source: Bangkok Post February 21, 2026 09:25 UTC