US Supreme Court rejects tariffs: a clear message?
The US Supreme Court has ruled that the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on the basis of an emergency law are illegal. Following the decision Trump, invoking a trade law, issued a decree imposing new tariffs of 10 percent and then announced an increase to 15 percent. These tariffs can remain in place for a maximum of 150 days and can only be extended with the approval of Congress.
Justice and democracy alive and kicking
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung looks to the future:
“It's no coincidence that Trump has so far avoided the parliamentary route. ... Firstly, the tariffs have brought in far less money for the state than predicted. And secondly, it's not primarily trading partners who pay the tariffs, but domestic consumers in the form of higher prices. ... The fact that the Supreme Court is also reining in Donald Trump on legal grounds presents him with a major challenge. Nevertheless, it would be naïve to hope that world trade will return to what it was before. ... The US's trading partners must prepare themselves for the fact that the tariffs will not disappear any time soon. At least they now know that even under Donald Trump the US is still a vibrant democracy.”
Ideology doesn't justify everything
Blogger and financial analyst Serhiy Fursa explains why the customs ruling is so important in a Facebook post reposted by Espreso:
“It means that the institutions are working. It is symbolic that it is the Supreme Court that has shown this, given the importance of the rule of law in American culture. And it also means that that same Supreme Court won't be prepared to directly violate the Constitution or brutally break laws if Trump tells it to - for example with regard to a third term in office. And Trump will now know that loyalty has its limits and ideology doesn't justify everything.”
Trump won't accept limits
Adevărul comments:
“The conservative judges of the Supreme Court, whom Trump himself appointed, have made it clear to the American public that the president can't just do whatever he likes, not even in the name of protectionism. ... In other words, there is a critical mass in America that can prevent a slide from democracy into dictatorship, even if it originates from the US president himself. Will Trump now stop his dictatorial efforts? Probably not. He believes that he is entitled to everything, that he is the best and most capable person in the world, and that everyone must obey his orders. And those who don't, such as Europe, are criticised and ridiculed in every possible way.”
Europe can only rely on itself
The situation won't necessarily improve for European companies, warns Welt am Sonntag:
“Export firms still don't know what a customs agreement with the US will ultimately look like. However, prolonged uncertainty is detrimental to investment, business and thus the economy. ... Europe shouldn't entertain any illusions: no American judge will free the continent from its dependence on the US. Only Europe itself can do that. The first step would be to stop waiting for the next Trump tweet, always fearing what 'Big Daddy' might be up to. Instead, Europe should act as though it were clear that America will remain unpredictable in the long term.”
United front against China
The ruling is a chance for a fresh start, says the Financial Times:
“A reset needs to start with something America's bruised and insulted allies may be loath to admit: when he first burst on to the US national political scene, President Donald Trump was right to say the global trading system wasn't working for working people in the US. And it wasn't working for working people in much of the rich, industrialised world either. ... A reset built around shared action on Chinese overcapacity would be a political victory for the White House - and it would be good for working people on both sides of the Atlantic.”