US appeals court temporarily pauses ruling against Trump tariffs

U.S. President Donald Trump has secured an interim victory in the legal battle over his tariff policy.

A federal appeals court temporarily suspended a lower court ruling that found Trump’s temporary tariffs on imports from around the world unlawful last week.

Importers must therefore continue paying the 10 per cent duties for now.

The appeals court’s decision is not a final ruling. Instead, it temporarily pauses the judgment by the lower court – the Court of International Trade in New York – while the appeals judges consider the U.S. administration’s request.

The plaintiffs, including the U.S. state of Washington and two companies, now have seven days to respond.

If the appeals court ultimately also strikes down the tariffs, the Trump administration could still appeal to the Supreme Court.

The U.S. administration had argued in its request to suspend the trade court’s ruling that the decision would “severely undermine the President’s trade agenda and will destabilise efforts to remedy our longstanding trade deficit.”

It also argued that there was a risk that tariffs already collected, as well as future duties, could be permanently lost.

The Court of International Trade in New York concluded last week that Trump had exceeded his authority with the temporary 10 per cent levy.

The judges ruled that the U.S. president had misinterpreted the trade law cited as the basis for the measure.

Neither the U.S. administration nor the Customs and Border Protection agency may demand import duties from the plaintiffs, the court ruled.

Since February 24, 2026, the United States has imposed a 10 per cent tariff on most imports from abroad.

Trump introduced the duties immediately after the Supreme Court declared many of his previous tariffs unlawful.

The president then turned to an emergency solution, relying on a 1974 trade law that limits the collection of such duties to a maximum of 150 days.