Q COSTARICA — In an unexpected turn for international trade, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday, February 20, the imposition of a new 10% across-the-board tariff.
The measure comes just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the tariffs, ruling that the president had exceeded his authority under the guise of a “national emergency.”
The conservative-majority Court ruled 6-3 that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977 does not authorize the president to impose tariffs; according to the ruling, that power resides exclusively with Congress.
In response, Trump declared himself “deeply disappointed” and lashed out at the justices, accusing them of bowing to “foreign interests” for “politically correct” reasons.
To establish the new temporary tariff, the president reacted swiftly, invoking the 1974 Trade Law and defending the use of tariffs as a negotiating tool, even attributing to them the resolution of international conflicts in 2025.
For Costa Rica, the optimism was short-lived, as this morning, the export sector, celebrating the elimination of a 15% tariff, will now have to face this new 10% rate.
Although it represents a reduction compared to the previous rate, it signifies the continuation of trade barriers for Costa Rica products exported to the United States.