While much of the focus after the Supreme Court’s ruling centered on the IEEPA tariffs that were struck down, a crucial detail bears emphasis: the sector-specific tariffs that Trump imposed on steel, aluminum, lumber, and automobiles remain fully in place and were entirely unaffected by the court’s decision. That means the practical impact of the ruling on the total tariff burden facing foreign exporters is considerably smaller than many headlines suggested.
The struck-down IEEPA tariffs were, in essence, a broad blanket surcharge applied to all imports — the 10% “worldwide tariff” that Trump has now replaced with a 15% version under the Trade Act of 1974. But the underlying sector tariffs, which in some cases run to 25% or more and were imposed under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, were not challenged in the same case and remain legally intact.
For steel and aluminum producers, auto manufacturers, and lumber exporters around the world, the practical reality has not changed dramatically. The IEEPA ruling’s main effect was symbolic and political — affirming that even this president is subject to constitutional limits — rather than a sweeping reversal of US tariff policy. Trump’s pivot to the 1974 provision has, if anything, narrowed the symbolic gap further by restoring a new blanket tariff almost immediately.
European and British trade officials, while noting the legal significance of the Supreme Court ruling, focused their practical concerns on the 15% announcement. Germany’s Merz warned of ongoing economic damage, and UK business groups expressed frustration at the constant shifting of terms. The message from trading partners was consistent: it is the pattern of instability, as much as the specific tariff rate, that causes the greatest harm.
For consumers and businesses, the cumulative effect of blanket tariffs plus sector-specific levies means the overall tariff environment remains historically elevated. The administration has framed this as a necessary tool to revitalize American manufacturing. Critics counter that the costs are diffuse and fall primarily on American households, while the manufacturing revival remains speculative and long-term.
