WARREN, Ohio – The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Friday overturning tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump provides the opportunity to develop a more targeted tariff policy, a local business leader said.
The high court, in a 6-3 decision, ruled that a president does not have the authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
“Other alternatives will now be used to replace the ones that the court incorrectly rejected,” Trump said during a news conference that was streamed online and carried by various media outlets. He criticized the ruling as a “terrible, defective decision” and said he would impose a 10% global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.
Guy Coviello, president and CEO of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, said the ruling provides the opportunity to work with members of Congress to develop a bill that would take a more surgical approach to tariffs.
“Tariffs will always create winners and losers. A more targeted approach provides an opportunity to create more winners,” he said.
“Tariffs make sense for products that have national security and health care implications,” he continued. “They don’t make a lot of sense for items like fireworks and dinnerware.”
Whether or not tariffs are in place are less important than predictability, said Alex Hertzer, executive director of the Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition.
“Sudden policy shifts create uncertainty for manufacturers, and that can slow hiring and workforce investment,” he said.
In a post on X, U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, described tariffs as “an important tool for protecting American workers and confronting unfair trade practices.”
“Today, the Supreme Court has spoken. In America, we respect the rule of law even when we disagree with it,” he wrote. “I look forward to working with the president, his administration, and my colleagues in the Senate to continue supporting America First trade policies, prioritizing American consumers and job creators and pushing back on adversaries like China.”
U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, turned to X to blast the Supreme Court’s ruling, which “handcuffs our fight against unfair trade that has devastated American workers for decades,” he said in his post. “These tariffs protected jobs, revived manufacturing, and forced cheaters like China to pay up. Now globalists win, factories investments may reverse, and American workers lose again.
“This betrayal must be reversed and Republicans must get to work immediately on a reconciliation bill to codify the tariffs that had made our country the hottest country on earth,” he continued.
Former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, who lost to Moreno in 2024 and is running to unseat Husted this year, criticized his opponent for “once again doubling down on his support for reckless tariffs that are raising costs and sending Ohio farmers into bankruptcy.”
He continued: “All across Ohio, farmers and working families are paying more for groceries, energy bills, and health care – and Husted is making it worse at every opportunity.”
U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., said Trump “has committed to using every tool in the toolbox to ensure American companies can fairly compete in the global economy,” and he looks forward to working with the administration to make sure Pennsylvania businesses can do that.
“As chairman of the Ways & Means Subcommittee on Tax, I also look forward to working with my congressional colleagues to craft common sense trade deals that not only allow American companies to participate in the global economy, but to dominate for years to come,” he added.