“We are closely studying,” India’s first statement on the US court’s decision on tariffs

Trump’s tariff policy has suffered a major setback from the US Supreme Court. (File Photo: ITG)

After the US Supreme Court declared President Donald Trump’s tariffs illegal, the Indian government said it is assessing the impact of the decision and the subsequent US actions. According to the Commerce Ministry, the developments are being closely studied.

The Indian government said on Saturday February 21, 2026 that it is assessing the impact of the recent US Supreme Court decision on tariffs and the subsequent actions announced by the US President. Yesterday, Friday, the US Supreme Court declared the tariffs imposed by Trump on several countries as “illegal.”

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry said that the Indian government is closely studying the developments related to the US tariffs and their potential impact. The ministry cited Friday’s US Supreme Court decision and Donald Trump’s press conference in this regard.

Government closely studying every decision

The ministry said, “We have taken note of yesterday’s (Friday) US Supreme Court decision on tariffs. US President Donald Trump also addressed a press conference on this issue. The ministry further stated, “Some steps have been announced by the US administration. We are studying all these developments and their implications.”

The government said it is closely examining these developments to understand their potential impact. This statement comes just a day after the US Supreme Court declared the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump “illegal.”

What did Trump do after the Supreme Court’s decision?

Trump announced on Friday that he had signed an executive order imposing a 10 percent tariff on imports from all countries. The new tariffs will take effect on February 24 at 10:31 am Indian time.

Trump wrote on the social media platform Truth Social, “I am proud to announce that from the Oval Office, I have signed an executive order imposing a global 10 percent tariff on all countries, effective almost immediately.”

On Friday, the US Supreme Court ruled that Trump cannot impose tariffs using the five-decade-old International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) during peacetime. This nullified the legal basis for the 18 percent reciprocal tariff imposed on India.

New tariffs to take effect February 24

This legal change could have reduced the tariff on India to 3.5 percent, which was in effect under the “Most Favored Nation” status prior to Trump’s move. However, Trump took immediate action by issuing a new order by Saturday, imposing a 10 percent tariff on all countries, including India.

He invoked a little-used law called Section 122, which allows the US president to impose tariffs up to 15 percent for 150 days, after which congressional approval is required. The new 10 percent tariff will take effect February 24.