It seems like running a big shop called America, and customers from other countries are selling you way more stuff than you sell them. That’s unfair, right? President Donald Trump thinks so. He decided to charge extra money—a “tariff”—on those foreign goods to make things even and bring jobs back home.
But last Friday, the Supreme Court said “hold on” in a 6-3 vote. They ruled Trump’s big tariff plan broke the rules because it used the wrong law. It was like the court telling him he couldn’t use his special shop discount card anymore. Trump was mad—he called the decision “anti-American” and some judges “fools.”
Not one to quit, Trump quickly found a backup plan. On Friday, he announced a 10% tariff on almost everything imported into the US, using a different old law called Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. This law lets the president slap on up to 15% extra charges for up to 150 days to fix money flowing out of the country too fast.
Just a day later, on Saturday, Trump upped the ante. In a post on his Truth Social app, he said: “Effective immediately, we’re raising it to the fully allowed, legally tested 15% level!” He aimed this at countries he says have been “ripping off” America for years by selling cheap goods without buying much back.
What does this mean in simple terms? If a company ships toys, clothes, or electronics from China, Europe, or India to US stores, they now pay 15% more tax at the border. Some things like medicines, key metals, or energy get a pass. Old tariffs on steel, cars, and chips stay as they are.
Trump says this will create jobs, make US factories busier, and fill government coffers with cash—maybe even enough for $2,000 checks to Americans. But others worry: prices for everyday stuff like phones or clothes could go up, hurting shoppers and businesses.
Around the world, reactions are mixed. The EU reminded the US of last year’s trade deals, saying “a deal is a deal.” India got a slight break—tariffs dropped to 18% after a new agreement—but everyone’s watching closely. Trump promises more tariffs soon to keep “Making America Great Again.”
This tariff tale shows Trump’s no-nonsense trade fight: hit back hard to protect American workers, even if courts or other countries push back. Will it work? Only time—and maybe Congress after 150 days—will tell.
