U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new 15% global import tariff on February 21, one day after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down his earlier "Liberation Day" tariffs as unconstitutional.
The move raises the temporary 10% tariff he unveiled immediately after the ruling to the maximum level allowed under the statute he is now using, underscoring his intent to continue reshaping U.S. trade policy despite the high court's 6–3 decision limiting presidential authority under emergency‑powers law.
The 15% tariff applies broadly to imports from all major trading partners, affecting high‑volume exporters such as China, Mexico, Canada, Germany, Japan, and South Korea.
Analysts warn the sudden increase will raise landed costs for U.S. importers, complicate freight planning and contract pricing, and add volatility for carriers and forwarders already adjusting to shifting tariff regimes — as they noted that businesses already face "huge uncertainty" about future charges, with companies unsure how to price goods or plan shipments amid rapid policy swings.
They also cautioned that abrupt tariff changes tend to distort cargo flows, trigger front‑loading or shipment delays, and increase rate volatility — effects likely to reappear under a blanket 15% duty. Air cargo groups have also raised concerns that broad, unpredictable tariffs increase costs for shippers, reduce demand for airfreight on key lanes, and create operational uncertainty for forwarders and carriers.
The Airforwarders Association has similarly argued that sudden trade measures can disrupt planning for small and mid‑sized forwarders, which lack the buffers larger multinationals rely on.
Supreme Court strikes down earlier tariffs
The U.S. Supreme Court on a February 20 ruling invalidated Trump's earlier "Liberation Day" tariffs, finding that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act did not authorize the president to impose sweeping import duties.
The decision removed the legal basis for the prior tariffs, prompting Trump to terminate those measures and replaced them with a new global tariff imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, a statute that permits temporary, across‑the‑board duties up to a capped rate. He first set the tariff at 10% and then raised it to 15%, the maximum allowed under Section 122.
