Hunton Retail Law Resource

On February 20, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ("IEEPA") does not authorize the President to impose tariffs. In Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, the Court invalidated tariffs imposed under IEEPA in connection with the Administration’s drug‑trafficking and "reciprocal" trade actions. The Supreme Court concluded that IEEPA’s grant of authority to "regulate … importation" does not include the power to impose tariffs. Tariffs are taxes, and the Constitution assigns taxing authority to Congress. When Congress intends to delegate tariff authority, it does so explicitly and with defined limits—features absent from IEEPA.