As President, I do not have to go back to Congress to get approval of Tariffs.
Evidence and Verdict
For
Federal statutes (for example Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962) grant the president authority to impose certain tariffs without a new congressional vote after specified procedures and fact-finding, according to NPR. The president and administration have invoked those authorities in practice (Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum in 2018 and reinstatements in 2025), and the administration has issued executive orders implementing a 10% global tariff, per USA Today and BBC reports.
Against
Courts have questioned and limited the administration's unilateral use of other authorities to impose tariffs without Congress, with judges expressing skepticism about relying on statutes like the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, according to AP. The Supreme Court ruling and related coverage indicate that explicit congressional authorization may be necessary for some tariff actions and that legal challenges (for example Costco's suit seeking refunds) are active, per BBC and AP.
Verdict
The claim is mixed because the president does have some statutory powers to impose tariffs without returning to Congress in specific, procedurally constrained cases, but courts have recently limited or questioned unilateral executive actions and indicated that explicit congressional authorization is required in other circumstances.
Sources
Judges question Trump's authority to impose tariffs without Congress | AP News
Judges question Trump's authority to impose tariffs without Congress | AP News - Feb 25, 2026
Members of the 11-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington appeared unconvinced by the Trump administration’s insistence that the president could impose tariff...
Open sourceCostco sues Trump administration for 'full refund' of tariffs
Costco sues Trump administration for 'full refund' of tariffs - Feb 25, 2026
# Costco sues Trump administration for 'full refund' of tariffs
Open sourceFebruary 21, 2026 — Trump administration updates - CNN
February 21, 2026 — Trump administration updates - CNN - Feb 25, 2026
After the 6-3 decision, Trump lashed out at the Supreme Court justices and said he would impose a 10% global tariff using presidential powers under trade law Section 122.
Open sourceTrump's new global tariff comes into effect at 10% - BBC
Trump's new global tariff comes into effect at 10% - BBC - Feb 25, 2026
An executive order signed by Trump on Friday said the temporary 10% import duty was intended to "address fundamental international payments problems and continue the Administration's work to rebala...
Open sourceTariffs ruling is major blow to Trump's second-term agenda - BBC
Tariffs ruling is major blow to Trump's second-term agenda - BBC - Feb 25, 2026
If Trump wants to restore his free hand to impose new tariffs, he could always ask Congress for the kind of explicit authorisation that the Supreme Court has said is necessary. But with narrow Repu...
Open sourceHere are the 7 things you need to know about Trump's tariffs - NPR
Here are the 7 things you need to know about Trump's tariffs - NPR - Feb 25, 2026
Likewise, Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 allow the president to impose tariffs, but only after a fact-finding by the U.S. trade representati...
Open source