Carney welcomes court blockage of Trump tariffs

TRENTON, Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday applauded a US court ruling that declared President Donald Trump overstepped his constitutional authority in imposing widespread tariffs on imports, according to media reports.

Carney told the House of Commons that the ruling backs Canada’s argument that the tariffs were “unlawful as well as unjustified,” said CBC News.

But he warned that the tariff war was far from over.

“That said, we recognize that our trading relationship with the United States is still profoundly and adversely threatened and affected by similarly unjustified” tariffs, said Carney.

The ruling essentially said that Trump does not have the authority to slap tariffs on other countries, using the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA).

“The court holds … that IEPPA does not authorize any of the Worldwide, Retaliatory, or Trafficking Trade Orders,” the court said in its ruling late Wednesday.

But the ruling does not eliminate tariffs on Canadian imports on cars and steel that were covered by other authorities, and as a result, are not affected by the court ruling.

“It therefore remains the top priority of Canada’s new government to establish a new economic and security relationship with the United States and to strengthen our collaboration with reliable trading partners and allies around the world,” Carney said in the House of Commons.

The Trump administration has appealed the ruling.