'Govt will study': Union minister Pralhad Joshi on US Supreme Court ruling striking Trump tariffs

NEW DELHI: Union minister Pralhad Joshi on Saturday said the Centre will study the recent US Supreme Court ruling on tariffs before making any official statement, stressing that the matter will be handled by the Piyush Goyal-led commerce ministry and Jaishankar's ministry of external affairs (MEA).

Speaking to reporters here, Joshi said, "I have read in the media that the US top court has given some judgment and the Indian government will study that, and whatever the reaction needs to be given, that will be given by the commerce ministry and MEA, not by me."




His remarks come after the US Supreme Court, in a 6–3 ruling, said the Trump administration had exceeded its authority by using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977 to impose sweeping import tariffs.

Chief Justice John Roberts, along with Justices Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett and the three liberal justices, ruled that IEEPA does not allow the president to impose tariffs, as that power is constitutionally given to Congress.

However, US President Donald Trump called the verdict a "terrible decision" and announced a fresh 10 per cent global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which permits temporary import surcharges for up to 150 days.

He also said that he is "ashamed" of the Supreme Court, after it handed him the stinging defeat in the second stint of his presidency.

Meanwhile, Joshi also criticised the Indian Youth Congress for staging a shirtless protest during the India AI Summit. "It is the most shameful thing that the Congress party is behaving like this when 20 heads of state, 45 ministers and important functionaries from nearly 150 countries participated," he said.

"Instead of celebrating India's performance, they are trying to create a ruckus. They are trying to become a hurdle for the growth of India," he added.

The protest on Friday saw Youth Congress members removing their shirts at the summit venue, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being "compromised." Police later detained the protesters. In a statement, the Youth Congress said the demonstration was against a "compromised Prime Minister who has traded the identity of the country at the AI Summit."