The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue at least one ruling on Friday as several high-profile cases remain pending, including challenges to President Donald Trump’s global tariffs.
The court may release opinions during its scheduled 10 a.m. ET (1500 GMT) sitting, though it does not announce in advance which cases will be decided.
The legal challenge to Trump’s tariffs is seen as a key test of presidential powers, as well as of the court’s readiness to review the scope of the Republican president’s authority since his return to office in January 2025. The decision could also have far-reaching consequences for the global economy.
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During oral arguments on 5 November, justices from both conservative and liberal wings expressed scepticism about the legality of the tariffs, which were imposed under a 1977 law designed for use during national emergencies. The Trump administration is appealing rulings from lower courts that found the president exceeded his authority.
Trump has defended the tariffs as strengthening the U.S. economy, warning on 2 January via social media that a Supreme Court ruling against them would be a “terrible blow” to the country.
The tariffs, described as “reciprocal,” were applied to imports from nearly every U.S. trading partner under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Trump also used the same law to target China, Canada, and Mexico, citing the trafficking of fentanyl and other illicit drugs into the United States as a national emergency.
The court is hearing cases brought by businesses affected by the tariffs and by 12 states, most of them governed by Democrats.
Other significant cases awaiting rulings include a challenge to a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, aimed at preventing racial discrimination in voting, and a free-speech challenge to a Colorado law banning “conversion therapy” for LGBT minors.
