Jonathan Todd, Vice Chair of Benesch’s Transportation & Logistics Practice Group, joined Forbes Newsroom to share his insights on the Court of International Trade’s May 28 ruling, which found that certain tariffs imposed under the Trump administration exceeded the legal limits of presidential authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
The court sided with plaintiffs who argued that the conditions under which the tariffs were imposed did not meet the threshold for invoking emergency powers or constitute a valid national emergency. As a result, the universal 10% tariffs and related reciprocal tariffs are now in legal jeopardy.
The decision does not affect other tariffs—such as those on steel, aluminum, automobiles, lumber, and copper—which were imposed under different legal authorities and are part of separate ongoing investigations. While the scope of the ruling is narrow, Todd emphasized that its impact could be significant. He also discussed what this means for businesses moving forward as they navigate this evolving legal and regulatory environment.
Watch the full interview here.