FEBRUARY 20, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) today released the following statement after the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled on whether President Trump exceeded his authority in using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA) to impose his Liberation Day Tariffs. CPA strongly supported President Trump’s actions to impose a permanent 10% baseline tariff on imports from all countries, as well as higher tariffs on imports from China.. These tariffs were central to the President’s successful campaign for the Presidency and were endorsed by voters at the polls.
For the last year, CPA has called on Congress to legislate the 10% universal tariff, in addition to CPA’s long-standing call to repeal China’s Most Favored Nation (“MFN”) status, which effectively adds a supplemental 30% average tariff to Chinese imports. To that end, CPA strongly supports bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Representatives Jared Golden (D-ME-2) and Greg Steube (R-FL-17). The Secure Trade Act would codify the President’s ten-percent universal tariff, and also repeals China’s MFN status. CPA has long advocated the benefits of repealing China’s MFN status. Between April 1, 2025, and December 14, 2025 (the most recently available data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection), the 10% universal, which excluded Canada and Mexico, generated $81.74 billion in revenue while the supplemental China IEEPA tariffs generated another $37.87 billion.
Unless Congress intervenes, taxpayers will be forced to issue what is likely in excess of $150 billion in tariff refunds.
“Today’s ruling makes two things clear: Congress may lawfully delegate tariff power to the President to defend home market production, as it did with Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, and that for major revenue tariffs, Congress should step in to legislate,” said Jon Toomey, President of CPA. “CPA strongly supports the 10% universal tariff as a revenue-generating measure and supports the administration’s Section 232 investigations as the primary vehicle for reshoring domestic production in critical sectors.
“Tariffs are not a temporary negotiating tactic—they are a core component of a durable America First trade and industrial policy. Congress must act accordingly,” continued Toomey. “Codifying the President’s 10% universal tariff and supplemental tariffs for China would prevent further disruption and enable the President to focus on rebuilding our industrial base.”
Full steam ahead on Section 232 actions
Today’s SCOTUS ruling should encourage the administration to refocus and expand its Section 232 efforts. Deadlines have been missed across multiple Section 232 actions, and huge swathes of the economy, including the entire agricultural sector, have not seen any sectoral relief from overwhelming import penetration.
The Trump administration launched twelve new Section 232 investigations in 2025 to address vulnerabilities across critical sectors. All of these actions are providing desperately needed hope to domestic producers. The next step is clear: complete the investigations, implement import relief by way of tariffs or quotas that control import penetration, and put the recommended relief into effect. Finalizing these actions will provide certainty to producers, reinforce domestic investment decisions already underway, and ensure that Section 232 continues to function as the backbone of America’s industrial and national security strategy.