Trump tariffs ruling cautiously welcomed by business owners - 'Hard to keep lights on'
Many business owners greeted the Supreme Court's ruling with cautious optimism.Their rejoicing was tempered by questions about a potentially complex process to obtain refunds for tariff fees they've already paid. Trump said on Friday he expected the issue to be tied up in court for years.And the Trump administration could still leverage other tariff authorities that were not implicated in the ruling.The Supreme Court case only covers duties that the Trump administration imposed using a 1977 law, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).On Friday, Trump said he planned to sign an executive order to impose a 10% global tariff, under a separate statute that allows the president to put import taxes of up to 15% in place for 150 days."We have other ways - numerous other ways," Trump told a White House briefing.Learning Resources, a family-owned educational toy maker, was among the businesses that challenged Trump's tariff policy - and received a ruling in its favour on Friday.Rick Woldenberg, the firm's chief executive, told the BBC that he was unimpressed with the president's proposed alternatives to IEEPA tariffs."If the government is bound and determined to try to harm us through excessive taxes, I'm sure they'll find a way," Woldenberg said.But he called the Supreme Court's ruling a "major victory".
