Trump warns ‘game-playing’ trade partners of higher tariffs after court blocks emergency duties

US President Donald Trump has warned trading partners against “playing games” or backtracking on recently negotiated trade agreements with the United States, saying they could face higher tariffs after the Supreme Court of the United States struck down his emergency tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

Posting on Truth Social, Trump said the ruling did not prevent his administration from using other trade laws that he described as “more powerful” and legally clearer to impose new duties, and suggested countries that have long benefited from access to the US market could be hit with even higher tariff rates. He also floated the possibility of imposing additional “licence fees” on trading partners, without providing details, as uncertainty over tariff policy continued to unsettle markets.

The warning came as the US moved to replace the now-invalidated emergency duties with a temporary 15% blanket import tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, due to take effect at 12:01 a.m. EST on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. US Customs and Border Protection has said it will halt collections of the IEEPA tariffs once the new duty begins.

In Brussels, the European Parliament postponed a vote on the EU-US trade deal after Washington’s latest tariff move. Under the draft arrangement, most EU goods would face a 15% US tariff with exemptions for hundreds of items — including food, aircraft parts, critical minerals and pharmaceutical inputs — while the EU would remove duties on many US industrial products.

The international negotiating landscape remains uncertain, with China calling on the US to lift unilateral tariff measures, while other partners reassess timelines and next steps.