Trump Criticises Supreme Court Ruling On Global Tariffs

US President Donald Trump criticised a Supreme Court ruling striking down his global tariffs during his State of the Union address on Tuesday.

According to AFP, he made the comments in front of several justices who had supported the decision. The high court's ruling, released on Friday, was "very unfortunate," Trump said in his State of the Union address.

Among those in attendance at the joint session of Congress were Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett -- both conservatives -- who alongside liberal Justice Elena Kagan had joined a 6-3 majority to rule against many of Trump's tariffs.

But the president added that US trading partners "want to keep the deal that they already made" with his administration, "knowing that the legal power that I as president have to make a new deal could be far worse for them."

AFP reported that shortly after the conservative-majority Supreme Court ruled that Trump had exceeded his authority in imposing broad duties on goods from other countries, the president moved to impose a new 10 per cent duty under a different law.

The new duty took effect Tuesday, and Trump has already vowed to hike the level up to 15 per cent.

Although these new tariffs are temporary, lasting only 150 days unless Congress extends them, Trump insisted that they will lead to a "solution that will be even stronger than before."

"Congressional action will not be necessary," he said.

"As time goes by, I believe the tariffs, paid for by foreign countries, will, like in the past, substantially replace the modern day system of income tax," Trump added.

He claimed this would take a "great financial burden off the people that I love."

A New York Federal Reserve paper released this month found that nearly 90 per cent of the tariffs' economic burden fell on US firms and consumers.

According to AFP, Trump's temporary tariffs are viewed as a bridge towards more lasting action. The Supreme Court's decision does not affect Trump's sector-specific tariffs on industries like steel and autos.

(With inputs from AFP)