President Donald Trump is warning that the United States could face severe financial consequences if the Supreme Court determines his broad global tariffs are unlawful.
The high court is expected to issue opinions as early as Jan. 14. In a Jan. 12 Truth Social post, Trump argued that a decision against the tariffs would create a major national security setback and force the country to repay enormous sums—claiming the government could owe back “many Hundreds of Billion of Dollars” in tariff revenue already collected, plus far more tied to private investment.
Trump has relied on the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act as the legal foundation for many of the tariffs, after declaring a national emergency related to the U.S. trade deficit. But during oral arguments in November, a majority of the justices appeared doubtful that the emergency-powers rationale fits the way the tariffs were imposed.
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The federal government collected roughly $200 billion in additional tariff revenue in 2025 because of the tariffs applied to imports from a wide range of countries. Tariffs are paid by companies when they bring goods into the United States.
Still, Trump suggested the potential “payback” would not be limited to tariff receipts. He argued it would also need to account for money companies—and in some cases foreign entities—are spending to build factories, buy equipment, and expand operations in the United States to reduce exposure to higher import costs.
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“When these Investments are added, we are talking about Trillions of Dollars!” Trump wrote, calling repayment a scenario that would be chaotic and difficult to calculate, much less execute. He added that even determining who would be owed money—and how much—could take years.
Trump has repeatedly pointed to rising domestic investment as evidence his tariff strategy is working, though critics say he has overstated the totals and note that some pledges have not yet turned into completed projects. In his latest post, Trump did not explain how he reached the “trillions” figure.
A decision limiting Trump’s ability to use emergency powers to impose tariffs would be a major setback for a key part of his domestic agenda and for the trade tool he has most frequently used in negotiations with other countries. It could also reshape how much authority future presidents have to justify large-scale tariffs under emergency declarations—an outcome with ripple effects for businesses, markets, and international trade.
In the weeks since the November arguments, Trump has repeatedly urged the court publicly to side with his administration.
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The Supreme Court is expected to release rulings on Jan. 14, though it is not known whether the tariff case will be included. The court typically does not announce in advance which decisions will be issued on a given day.
A federal appeals court ruled in August that most of the tariffs were unlawful, following a lawsuit brought by a group of businesses that challenged the policy.
Trump has said he is preparing a “Game 2 plan” to pursue his tariff agenda if the Supreme Court strikes the tariffs down, but he has described alternative legal approaches as slower than relying on emergency powers.
