Trade Court Hears Dispute Over Trump’s Section 122 Tariffs

The law allows the president to impose tariffs at times, but states said the current trade deficit isn’t one of those times.

Shipping cranes stand above shipping containers at the Port of Los Angeles on Feb. 20, 2026. Mario Tama/Getty Images

The Court of International Trade heard oral arguments on April 10 in a suit challenging President Donald Trump’s recent global tariffs.

Trump implemented those tariffs using Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 after the Supreme Court struck down tariffs he’d issued using the International Economic Emergency Powers Act. Section 122 allows the president to apply tariffs up to 15 percent and lasting 150 days in certain circumstances. After that, he must obtain approval from Congress to extend them.