US Supreme Court to rule on legality of Trump tariffs

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on Friday on the legality of President Donald Trump's tariffs, a decision that analysts believe will have long-term consequences for U.S. trade policy and the global trading system.

Saying that many U.S. trading partners have been taking advantage of low U.S. tariff rates while maintaining higher duties on U.S. goods, Trump invoked his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 to "address the national emergency posed by the large and persistent trade deficit" and impose sweeping tariffs on global trading partners.

In May last year, the New York-based Court of International Trade declared the tariffs were unlawful. In August, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled in a 7-4 vote that Trump overstepped his authority when he implemented the tariffs on nearly all trading partners through an emergency economic powers act, saying his action did not fall within the president's mandate and that imposing tariffs was "a core Congressional power."

Trump then asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the lower court decision.

During a November hearing last year, key members of the Supreme Court expressed skepticism that Trump had authority to rely on the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose the global tariffs.

Analysts said the Supreme Court's scheduled ruling on Friday will determine the future of U.S. trade policy and represents a major legal test of the Trump administration's push to expand presidential power.

If the court upholds Trump's tariffs, global trade would face more uncertainty, and price and trade costs would further increase, and the global supply chain is more likely to undergo further restructuring.

If the court rules against Trump's tariffs, the prices of affected goods will drop, and importers who have already paid tariffs could be eligible to have that money refunded, potentially boosting global trade.

If the court opts for a middle ground, the presidential power on trading issues will be limited, promoting short-term stability in global trade, though long-term uncertainties will remain, according to analysts.

US Supreme Court to rule on legality of Trump tariffs

Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.

In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.

"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.

Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.

Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.

"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.

Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.

Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.

"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.

Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela