Brussels is taking a wait-and-see approach after the US Supreme Court struck down sweeping tariffs introduced by Donald Trump last April, a decision that leaves more questions than answers for the time being.
EU officials have yet to issue a formal response following the ruling. The decision invalidates the administration’s 10 percent across-the-board tariff, along with higher duties imposed on several major trading partners, including the European Union, Canada, Mexico, China, Japan and South Korea. The ruling undercuts a policy Trump has openly embraced, describing tariffs as his “favorite word”.
European Parliament trade committee chair Bernd Lange on Friday struck a cautious tone in an early reaction on X, saying it was positive that additional US tariffs are “off the table for now,” while warning the EU must remain prepared in case Washington seeks new ways to introduce trade restrictions.
“The SCOTUS ruling on the US tariffs is a positive signal for the rule of law,” the MEP wrote in a double post, adding: “The justices have shown that even a US president does not operate in a legal vacuum. Legal boundaries have been set — the era of unlimited, arbitrary tariffs may now be coming to an end.”
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“That is why I have convened an extraordinary meeting of the EP negotiating team for Monday,” he wrote.
Waiting for legal clarity
Attention is now turning to whether Washington could seek alternative legal pathways to pursue similar trade restrictions, a scenario that could prolong uncertainty for exporters and policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic.
The longer-term implications for transatlantic trade relations remain unclear.
