Trump Says Congress Approval Not Needed for Tariffs

Washington, Feb 23: US President Donald Trump on Monday asserted that he does not require fresh approval from United States Congress to impose tariffs, striking a defiant tone amid renewed uncertainty over America’s trade policy following a recent Supreme Court ruling. His remarks came as India reportedly postponed the visit of a planned trade delegation to Washington, citing ambiguity surrounding the US tariff regime.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump insisted that presidential authority on tariffs had already been established. “As President, I do not have to go back to Congress to get approval of Tariffs. It has already been gotten, in many forms, a long time ago!” he wrote. He further claimed that this authority had been reinforced by what he described as a flawed judicial intervention.

“They were also just reaffirmed by the ridiculous and poorly crafted Supreme Court decision!” Trump added, referring to a ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States that annulled tariffs imposed during his administration. While the decision has introduced legal clarity on certain aspects of tariff enforcement, it has also generated uncertainty for trading partners assessing the future direction of US trade policy.

In a separate post, Trump issued a sharp warning to countries engaged in trade negotiations with the United States. He cautioned that any nation attempting to take advantage of the Supreme Court ruling would face tougher consequences. “Any Country that wants to ‘play games’ with the ridiculous Supreme Court decision, especially those that have ‘Ripped Off’ the U.S.A. for years, and even decades, will be met with a much higher Tariff, and worse, than that which they just recently agreed to. BUYER BEWARE!!!” he said.

The White House did not issue any formal clarification following Trump’s remarks. However, a senior administration official said the government remained engaged diplomatically. “We continue to work behind the scenes with all of our trading partners,” the official told INAS, suggesting that dialogue with key economies was ongoing despite the public rhetoric.

The comments coincided with reports that India had decided to defer the visit of its trade delegation to Washington. According to sources familiar with the development, the postponement followed consultations between Indian and US officials in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision. With the tariff framework now under legal and political scrutiny, New Delhi is said to be reassessing the timing and scope of further engagement.

There is currently no revised schedule for the Indian delegation’s visit. Officials indicated that the lack of clarity on future tariff policy made it difficult to move forward with talks at this stage. The delegation had been expected to hold discussions on an interim trade agreement aimed at easing punitive tariffs on Indian exports while significantly boosting US exports to the Indian market.

The delay underscores the broader uncertainty gripping global trade partners as they seek clearer signals from Washington on the direction of US trade policy in a shifting legal and political landscape.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)