Court Ruling Strikes Blow to IEEPA Tariffs

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a ruling on Friday, August 29, upholding the Court of International Trade’s (CIT) decision striking down President Trump’s tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

These tariffs added additional duties on products from Mexico, Canada, and China to curb the flow of fentanyl into the U.S., along with reciprocal tariffs against nearly all U.S. trading partners. While the decision is a blow for Trump’s tariff agenda, it’s likely not the final word on the matter.

For now, the tariffs will remain in place, with no firm end date. President Trump has already requested a swift Supreme Court hearing on the case in an effort to reverse the decision of the Appeals Court.

The government has warned that if these tariffs are struck down, it may have to refund large sums of money to importers who have paid. Any importer who has paid any IEEPA tariffs in 2025 should compile documentation of their duty payments in case refunds do become available.

This will likely be a long and drawn-out legal battle, but the Federal Circuit decision marks a major blow to the Trump Administration’s tariff efforts. If you have questions about what this means for your business or duty payments, please reach out to Scarbrough today.