Hours after the US Supreme Court on Friday (February 20) struck down Donald Trump’s tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the president announced 10% tariffs under a different trade law: Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. According to the White House Fact Sheet notifying the 10% rate, these tariffs will become effective from Tuesday (February 24). Notably, this ruling does not affect the tariffs announced under other statutes (Section 232, Section 301, the fentanyl tariffs). Trump’s choice of Section 122 marks yet another use of an instrument associated with Richard Nixon to pressure American trading partners. There is also the infamous Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, or the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, to which comparisons were drawn on April 2.

Source: Indian Express February 21, 2026 14:15 UTC