A federal judge in Washington, DC, has extended the suspension of most of President Trump’s tariffs until an appeals court can make a decision on the case.
US District Judge Rudolf Contreras initially put the order on hold for two weeks, but the extension announced on Tuesday will last indefinitely while awaiting the Court of Appeal’s ruling.
This news adds to a turbulent week in the ongoing legal disputes surrounding Trump’s tariffs. Two federal courts have found that he may be improperly using emergency laws to impose tariffs, but these rulings are not currently active.
In response to a lawsuit from two educational initiatives, Contreras on Thursday struck down Trump’s so-called “liberation day” tariffs and the tariffs related to fentanyl trafficking.
This ruling followed a few hours after the US International Trade Court blocked several tariffs imposed by Trump on Canada and Mexico, stemming from a lawsuit initiated by a group of businesses and a coalition of states led by Democrats.
The Trump administration has launched an appeal, seeking an immediate suspension of these injunctions, warning that allowing them to go into effect could weaken Trump’s position in international trade negotiations.
There are currently two separate appeals ongoing in different courts.
The case concerning the Trade Court saw the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit quickly move to suspend the judgment pending the next steps of the appeal.
Control of Contreras’s ruling will shift to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, which has yet to intervene. With the Federal Circuit’s suspension in mind, Contreras decided to formally maintain his hold on the decision indefinitely.
While the court acknowledged the national security and foreign policy issues raised by the defendants, it indicated that any potential effects would stem from the trade court’s order.
The order from the Federal Circuit is currently in place, making this stay necessary to address concerns related to the US economy and national security while also preserving the president’s ability to respond.
This situation is just one aspect of Trump’s ongoing legal troubles regarding tariffs.
However, judges in California, Montana, and Florida have declined to pursue other related cases, directing plaintiffs to first address their concerns within the trade court.
Recently, US District Judge Jacqueline Corey, appointed by former President Biden and serving in San Francisco, dismissed a lawsuit filed by California and Governor Gavin Newsom.
