"They are a disgrace to our country," Trump said at a press conference on Friday evening, addressing the Supreme Court judges who ruled against him.
The court's decision was made by a vote of 6-3. The background is that more than 1,000 different American companies have pursued the case in court and requested compensation for the global tariffs that President Donald Trump announced in April last year, in connection with what Trump called "Liberation Day".
"They are fools and lapdogs of the radical left and RINOs (a term describing Republicans who are not considered to stick to the party line)," Trump said.
He also announced that he will introduce new global tariffs of 10 percent, which, according to the president, would be added on top of the tariffs already in force.
Trump has repeatedly said that he sees the issue of tariffs as one of the most important in US history and that a ruling that does not go his way would mean an economic blow to the country.
However, the tariff policy has faced legal opposition, including from libertarian and pro-business organizations that typically side with Republicans. According to opinion polls, the tariffs also lack broad support among voters.
Declared a state of economic emergency
Tariffs are actually supposed to be decided by the US Congress, but Trump has argued that he had the power to impose tariffs based on what he considered to be an economic emergency.
Conservative Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, appointed by Trump in 2018, was one of three who opposed the annulment.
"The tariffs that exist can be considered either reasonable or unreasonable from a purely political perspective. But in terms of legal text, history and precedent, they are clearly compatible with the legislation," he wrote in an opinion included in the decision document.
Kavanaugh said that what the court has effectively decided is that Trump figuratively filled out the wrong form to enforce his tariff policy.
The White House has previously stated that it will use other tools if the Supreme Court makes a decision that is negative for the administration. However, these tools are usually more cumbersome or limited in nature compared to the president's emergency powers, according to Bloomberg.
Repayment claims in trillions
There have been demands from American companies involved in imports for a refund of the customs duties they have been forced to pay, but the Supreme Court has not taken a position on this issue. If this were to become a reality, it could be the equivalent of up to 1.5 trillion kronor that would have to be paid back.
