United News of Bangladesh

President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that he intends to increase global tariffs to 15%, up from the 10% he had previously announced a day earlier, after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down many of the extensive import taxes he had imposed in the past year. Trump's social media post signals that despite the court's limitation on his powers, the Republican president remains determined to escalate tariffs in unpredictable ways. Tariffs have been a key tool for Trump to reshape global trade and exert international pressure. The Supreme Court's decision on Friday invalidated tariffs Trump had applied on nearly all countries using emergency powers. In response, Trump stated he would pursue an alternative, though more restricted, legal authority. He had already signed an executive order to bypass Congress and impose a 10% tax on global imports, which was set to take effect on Tuesday, the same day as his State of the Union address. However, these tariffs will last only 150 days unless extended by legislation. The White House has yet to respond to inquiries about when Trump will sign an updated order to raise tariffs to 15%. In his social media post, Trump explained that his decision was based on a "thorough, detailed, and complete review" of what he called a "ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American" Supreme Court ruling on tariffs. By a 6-3 vote, the justices declared that Trump cannot unilaterally impose and alter tariffs, as the authority to tax resides with Congress. In addition to the temporary 15% tariffs, Trump also indicated he would pursue tariffs under other sections of federal law, which require an investigation by the Commerce Department. He stated on Saturday that the Trump Administration would "determine and issue the new and legally permissible Tariffs" in the coming months, continuing the process of "Making America Great Again." After the Supreme Court ruling, Trump launched a personal attack on the justices who voted against him, including two of his own appointees, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett. At a news conference on Friday, he called the decision "an embarrassment to their families." He continued to criticize them on social media, also attacking Chief Justice John Roberts, who joined the majority opinion. On Saturday morning, Trump declared Justice Brett Kavanaugh his "new hero" for writing a dissenting opinion, and praised Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, who also dissented. Tariffs have been a cornerstone of Trump’s economic policies, which he claims address issues like trade imbalances, reviving U.S. manufacturing, and pressuring foreign nations to take action on matters such as drug trafficking and international conflicts. Despite evidence to the contrary, Trump has frequently stated that foreign governments, not American consumers and businesses, would bear the cost of these tariffs. As of December, federal data showed that the Treasury had collected over $133 billion from the tariffs imposed under emergency powers. Trump has suggested that the funds could be used for purposes such as reducing the national debt or sending dividend checks to taxpayers. The Supreme Court’s ruling did not address the fate of these collected funds. Democrats quickly criticized Trump's tariff proposal. Members of the House Ways and Means Committee accused Trump of "pickpocketing the American people" with his new tariff increase. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a long-time Trump critic, added that "he does not care about you."