Bessent Says White House Can Recreate Same Tariffs If It Loses US Supreme Court Case

The Treasury secretary suggested in an interview that the government can use the exact ’tariff structure' under various legislation.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent attends a meeting during the 80th U.N. General Assembly, in New York City on Sept. 23, 2025. Al Drago/Reuters

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that if the Supreme Court rules against the Trump administration’s tariffs, the government still has the capacity to impose import taxes.

The high court is currently hearing a case on whether the Trump administration misapplied the tariffs under a 1977 law known as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which was invoked earlier this year to impose the duties on nearly every country in the world.