A top aide to Donald Trump claimed the US president’s tariffs helped broker a fragile ceasefire between India and Pakistan earlier this month by offering trade incentives and warned that limiting executive power could jeopardise regional security.
White House officials told the US Court of International Trade to uphold Mr Trump’s import tariffs on almost all major countries, arguing that overturning the levies would weaken Washington’s ability to negotiate trade deals globally and undermine their strategic use as diplomatic tools.
Trade representative Jamieson Greer, commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, treasury secretary Scott Bessent and secretary of state Marco Rubio told the court in statements submitted late last week they supported the tariffs, imposed by Mr Trump under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
They were responding to a lawsuit brought by small businesses claiming losses from Mr Trump’s trade policies.
Mr Lutnick claimed that Mr Trump’s power to impose tariffs had helped broker a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after four days of fighting earlier this month. “A ruling that narrows IEEPA would have ripple effects across every domain in which economic instruments are used for strategic effect,” Mr Lutnick said, according to Friday’s court filing.
“This ceasefire was only achieved after President Trump interceded and offered both nations trading access with the United States to avert a full-scale war,” Mr Lutnick argued. “An adverse ruling that constrains presidential power in this case could lead India and Pakistan to question the validity of President Trump’s offer, threatening the security of an entire region and the lives of millions.”
While Pakistan had acknowledged Washington’s role in brokering the ceasefire, Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar had maintained the truce was agreed after direct talks initiated by the Pakistani army, firmly rejecting claims of international mediation. The Independent has contacted the Indian foreign ministry spokesperson for comment.
President Trump is getting deals done for the American people. “Both the Mexicans and the Canadians were on the phone with me all day today, trying to show that they’ll do better and the President is listening.” Stay tuned!
— Howard Lutnick (@howardlutnick) March 4, 2025
“China are still giving maximum subsidies to producing… pic.twitter.com/7NhAoHeRqL
The commerce secretary also claimed that Mr Trump’s imposition of steep tariffs on China persuaded Beijing to lower levies on US goods, marking a diplomatic win. “The increased tariff rate against China applied additional pressure to achieve the foreign policy objective of bringing China - the greatest contributor to the national emergency and a well-known strategic adversary - to the negotiating table,” he said.
An invalidation of the president’s ability to use IEEPA would “dismantle a cornerstone” of his national security architecture, Mr Lutnick said, “irreparably harm the government’s ability to respond to evolving foreign threats” and severely disrupt the commerce department “coordination of foreign policy-related economic actions on behalf of the president”.
“The imposition of IEEPA tariffs signals to foreign governments that certain conduct, whether economic predation, trade manipulation, or narcotics trafficking, will incur serious consequences. Diluting this authority would not only unravel the current IEEPA actions but also would undermine future deterrence,” he said.
Noting that “allies and adversaries alike monitor US courts for signs of constraint on presidential power”, Mr Lutnick claimed that “a ruling that narrows IEEPA would have ripple effects across every domain in which economic instruments are used for strategic effect”.
The Independent has contacted Mr Lutnick’s office for comment.
In April, Mr Trump imposed heavy tariffs on almost all US trade partners but paused enforcement for 90 days to allow time for negotiations. The president made an exception for China, however, slapping it with levies exceeding 100 per cent. China responded in kind.
The commerce secretary told the court that Mr Trump’s tariff strategy rewarded non-retaliating nations with negotiations, resulting in a trade deal with the UK.
In ONE week, President Trump:
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) May 12, 2025
🇬🇧Reached Trade Deal with UK
🇨🇳Negotiated Trade Deal with China
☑️Secured Ceasefire with Houthis
✅Secured Ceasefire between India & Pakistan
🇺🇸Freed American Hostage Edan Alexander from Gaza
💊Signed Historic EO to Slash Drug Prices
A historic…
In his statement, Mr Greer said that IEEPA was a “crucial tool” that the president must retain to confront extraordinary threats. He warned that stripping Mr Trump of the authority to invoke the measure would unravel agreements with the United Kingdom and China on delaying or reducing tariffs and derail ongoing talks with other nations.
“A decision enjoining the president from imposing tariffs under IEEPA would create a foreign policy disaster scenario,” he said, according to Politico.
The lawsuit argues that IEEPA doesn’t authorise tariffs and should only apply to “unusual and extraordinary threats”, not routine trade.
Mr Rubio argued that the court was not “appropriately situated to handle and intervene in matters of foreign policy and national security”.
He cautioned that a ruling against the administration could “lead to embarrassment of the United States on a global stage”, according to the South China Morning Post. Such an outcome could be “dangerous” as it would embolden America’s allies and adversaries alike.
