Trump Administration Ties India Tariffs to Ukraine Peace in Supreme Court Filing.
The Trump administration has approached the US Supreme Court to challenge a federal appeals court ruling that deemed most of his broad tariffs illegal. In its filing, the administration argued that the tariffs are “a crucial aspect of our push for peace” in Ukraine.
“The President recently authorised IEEPA tariffs against India for purchasing Russian energy products, to address a national emergency regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine,” the filing stated.
The move comes amid escalating trade and geopolitical tensions. On August 27, the US doubled tariffs on India to 50 percent—half to penalise New Delhi for increasing Russian oil imports following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, and the other half under Trump’s “America First” agenda aimed at reducing the US trade deficit.
The filing controversially framed the tariffs as a measure of national strength: “With tariffs, the US is a rich nation; without them, it is a poor nation… America is strong, financially viable, and respected again.”
Last week, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled 7-4 that many of Trump’s tariffs were illegal, affirming a lower court finding that the president exceeded his authority in using emergency economic powers to impose broad duties. However, the court allowed the tariffs to remain in place until mid-October to give the administration time to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Trump criticized the ruling on Truth Social, claiming the appeals court “incorrectly said that our Tariffs should be removed” and vowed to fight back “with the help” of the Supreme Court.
In January, Trump had invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose “reciprocal tariffs” on nations trading with the US. The appeals court, however, stated that while the president can act under IEEPA during a declared national emergency, this authority does not extend to imposing tariffs, duties, or taxes.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that suspending the tariffs could cause “dangerous diplomatic embarrassment,” highlighting the high stakes for global trade and US foreign policy.
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