‘Mattered Most To Me’: Trump Vows To Bring Back Tariffs ‘In Another Form’ After US Court Setback

Last Updated:March 16, 2026, 10:27 IST

Trump said tariffs were the issue that “mattered most” to him and accused the court of making a decision that could cost the United States trillions of dollars.

US President Donald Trump. (AP File)

US President Donald Trump renewed his push for tariffs, pledging to reimpose them “in another form” roughly a month after the US Supreme Court struck down his administration’s “reciprocal tariffs.”

In a lengthy post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump said tariffs were the issue that “mattered most” to him and accused the court of making a decision that could cost the United States trillions of dollars by favouring foreign countries and companies he claims have taken advantage of American trade policy for decades.

While criticising the ruling, Trump said the court had also affirmed his authority to levy tariffs through other legal mechanisms, adding that his administration had already begun moving in that direction.

The February ruling dealt a significant blow to Trump’s trade agenda, which has centred on aggressive tariffs as a tool to protect US industries and counter what he describes as long-standing unfair practices by rival economies.

Trump argued that the case involved potentially “trillions of dollars” that would otherwise flow back to foreign governments and corporations, outcomes he said reward countries that benefited from trade arrangements at the expense of the United States.

In the same statement, he praised conservative justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh for their “wisdom and courage,” while sharply criticising the broader court for blocking the policy.

Even as the White House explores alternative paths to impose tariffs, Washington has begun laying the groundwork for fresh trade action.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative announced last week that it has launched a new “unfair trade practices” investigation into excess industrial capacity across 16 economies, including China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea and Mexico. The probe could pave the way for new tariffs as early as this summer.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the investigation will examine countries with unusually large manufacturing output relative to domestic demand, often reflected in persistent trade surpluses or idle production capacity.

Officials plan to assess factors such as government subsidies, currency practices, state-owned enterprise activity, wage levels and environmental or labour standards.

Greer said the administration aims to complete the Section 301 probe and recommend remedies before temporary tariffs are set to expire in July, keeping Trump’s tariff-first trade strategy firmly in play despite the court setback.

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