Trump’s global tariff policy faces US Supreme Court test as he is set to skip hearing

US President Donald Trump said yesterday (3 November) he will not attend the Supreme Court's upcoming oral arguments concerning the legality of his global tariffs, in what may be the biggest battle yet in his trade war.

Justices have a Wednesday (5 November) hearing scheduled for arguments on the tariffs case.

Trump told reporters on Air Force One that despite his desire to be there, he does not want to create a distraction during the hearing.

"I wanted to go so badly," Trump said as he flew back to Washington after a weekend in Florida.

"I just don't want to do anything to deflect the importance of that decision. … I don't want to call a lot of attention to me. It's not about me, it's about our country."

Arguments before the highest US court on Wednesday will centre on the legality of Trump's sweeping global tariffs in a major test of one of his boldest assertions of executive power, regarding an issue that has been central to his economic and trade agenda.

The Supreme Court took up the Justice Department's appeal of a lower court's ruling that Trump overstepped his authority in imposing most of his tariffs under a 1977 law known as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The tariffs were challenged by various businesses and 12 US states.

Trump defended his use of tariffs to balance global trade flows, citing years of high duties charged by other countries on US imports. He said his tariffs had increased US revenues and driven the stock markets to a series of record highs.

"If we don't have tariffs, we don't have national security, and the rest of the world would laugh at us because they've used tariffs against us for years and took advantage of us," he said.

"We were subject to being abused by a lot of other countries, including China. For years, not anymore. Tariffs have brought us tremendous national security," he said.