Supreme Court Slaps, Trump Tweaks, Global Tariffs Go Up… and EU & India Are Watching Like Hawks

That should have eased tariff tensions globally, right? Well… not quite. In response, the U.S. re-imposed a universal tariff — first at 10%, then swiftly raised it to 15% under a different legal hook in the Trade Act of 1974 (Section 122), which allows temporary duties for up to 150 days — pending congressional action.

The result? More confusion than an emoji in a legal brief, and trade partners scrambling to adjust.

EU: “A Deal Is a Deal — Don’t Move the Goalposts”

The European Union didn’t mince words. Brussels is now insisting that:

· The United States must honour the terms of the EU-U.S. trade deal agreed in 2025, which capped U.S. tariffs on most EU goods at 15%.

· Tariff changes above that 15% ceiling are unacceptable and undermine the very basis of the deal.

· EU officials want full clarity from Washington on what the new tariff regime means for existing commitments.

That said, while the EU Commission and trade negotiators are firmly resisting arbitrary tariff hikes, they haven’t yet officially scrapped the trade agreement outright. Instead, senior EU lawmakers are urging a pause or delay in ratification of the deal given the shifting legal and economic ground, saying nothing should be rushed until the U.S. provides clearer direction on its tariff policy.

In classic EU diplomatic fashion, the message is basically:

“We expect you to keep your promises — a deal is a deal — but if the rules keep changing, we might need to take a breather.”

India: Reset, Review… but No Dramatic Retaliation (Yet)

On the India front, the situation is more about measured reassessment than tit-for-tat moves:

Tariff Landscape Shifted

After the Supreme Court ruling wiped out the former emergency-based tariffs, many of the hefty levies Indian exports faced — which had climbed as high as ~26–50% — were effectively reset. Under the new 15% global tariff framework, Indian exporters now face a much lower rate on average, although certain sectoral tariffs (like steel and aluminium) remain unchanged because they were imposed under different legal authority.

Government Response: Watch and Strategise

• New Delhi has formally said it’s reviewing the Supreme Court’s decision and its implications before issuing any major policy shift. Officials have emphasised the need for clarity on how the interim U.S. tariff framework interacts with bilateral agreements.
• Think tanks and trade experts within India are advising caution — recommending New Delhi avoid locking itself into volatile U.S. commitments and to reassess the interim trade deal, including potential pauses or fresh terms, if necessary.

So unlike some headlines suggesting retaliatory tariffs, India’s current stance is strategic re-evaluation rather than immediate economic counter-punching.

So, for now, global traders, exporters, and importers are left with a new mantra: check the Supreme Court’s rulings, update tariff spreadsheets, and maybe—just maybe—keep a stress ball handy.