Donald Trump has secured a temporary legal reprieve in the dispute over his tariff policy after a federal appeals court paused a lower court ruling declaring his import tariffs unlawful.
The suspension means importers must continue paying the 10% tariffs for now. At the same time, the appeals court reviews the administration’s request to overturn last week’s judgment by the United States Court of International Trade.
The ruling is not final, and the plaintiffs including Washington state and two companies have been given seven days to respond. If the appeals court eventually rules against the tariffs, the Trump administration could still take the case to the Supreme Court of the United States.
The administration argued that blocking the tariffs would damage the president’s trade agenda, weaken efforts to reduce the U.S. trade deficit, and risk the loss of already collected and future tariff revenue.
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Last week, the New York trade court ruled that Trump exceeded his authority by imposing the temporary 10% tariffs, saying he misapplied the trade law used to justify the measure. The court also barred the administration and Customs and Border Protection from collecting duties from the plaintiffs.
The U.S. has imposed the tariffs on most imports since February 24, 2026. Trump introduced the measure after the Supreme Court struck down many of his earlier tariffs, prompting him to rely on emergency powers under a 1974 trade law that allows such duties for up to 150 days.
