US court blocks levies, says president overstepped authority

NEW YORK — A United States trade court blocked most of President Donald Trump's tariffs in a sweeping ruling on Wednesday that found the president overstepped his authority by imposing across-the-board duties on imports from US trading partners.

The Court of International Trade said the US Constitution gives Congress exclusive authority to regulate commerce with other countries that is not overridden by the president's emergency powers to safeguard the US economy.

"The court does not pass upon the wisdom or likely effectiveness of the president's use of tariffs as leverage," a three-judge panel said in the decision to issue a permanent injunction on the blanket tariff orders issued by Trump since January.

"That use is impermissible not because it is unwise or ineffective, but because (federal law) does not allow it."

The judges also ordered the Trump administration to issue new orders reflecting the permanent injunction within 10 days. The administration minutes later filed a notice of appeal and questioned the authority of the court, with White House spokesman Kush Desai arguing that "unelected judges" have no right to weigh in on Trump's handling of the issue.

Responding to a question on the tariff development in the US, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said China has made its position very clear: tariff and trade wars have no winners.

"Protectionism benefits no one and is ultimately unpopular," she said at a regular news conference in Beijing on Thursday.

The court invalidated with immediate effect all of Trump's orders on tariffs since January that were rooted in the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a law meant to address "unusual and extraordinary "threats during a national emergency.

The court was not asked to address some industry-specific tariffs Trump has issued on automobiles, steel and aluminum, using a different statute.

Agencies via Xinhua