The Supreme Court ruled Friday that President Trump's sweeping global tariffs are unconstitutional, striking down the emergency-powers authority he used to impose them, and offering the book publishing and printing industries a measure of relief after more than a year of uncertainty and disruption. Though, industry observers acknowledged, Trump's mercurial nature means that the issue is not likely settled and that he could find a new way to invoke tariffs.
In a decision written by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court found that Trump exceeded his authority under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) when he imposed a broad set of tariffs—including a 10% levy on imports from virtually all countries and 25% duties on goods from Canada and Mexico—without explicit congressional authorization. "Had Congress intended to convey the distinct and extraordinary power to impose tariffs, it would have done so expressly," Roberts wrote, according to the Wall Street Journal. Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh, all conservative judges, dissented.
The tariffs struck down represented roughly 70% of Trump's second-term duties, projected to raise approximately $1.5 trillion over the next decade, according to the Tax Foundation.
For the book trade, the ruling offers some alleviation. Publishers, printers, and booksellers had spent much of 2025 bracing for the impact of the new levies, even as books largely escaped the worst of the hikes. Most were exempted from Trump's April 2025 "Liberation Day" tariffs, which were enacted under the same IEEPA authority the court has now invalidated. Still, some costs did rise.
The ruling also moves the tariff issue into a new phase as it raises the question of how companies could receive rebates. At a Book Industry Study Group webinar on February 3, Jack Stevens, president of Woodland Group, advised publishers and printers to be sure they were properly registered with Customs & Border Protection's Automated Clearinghouse program to be in position to receive rebates should the court rule against Trump. Stevens called the rebate issue "an administrative and logistical nightmare" for the government.
The impact of the tariff regime on Canada's publishing sector was particularly acute. Canadian publishers, many of whom depend on U.S. sales for 50% or more of their revenue, reported shipments held or turned back at the border, inflation on printing and shipping costs, and confusion over how tariffs were applied. "We've experienced hyperinflation on printing and shipping costs, as well as confusion in how tariffs are applied that keep publishers, printers, and distributors on edge," Anna Comfort O'Keefe, publisher of Douglas & Macintyre, told PW earlier this year. Some publishers simply stopped shipping to the U.S. altogether. "We're just not going to be shipping, because the shipping charge plus the duty is not worth it for the consumer," said Don Gorman, publisher of Rocky Mountain Books. Border booksellers on the U.S. side also felt the pinch, with some reporting losses of up to 75% of Canadian customer traffic.
One outstanding question the ruling does not immediately settle is the fate of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which is due for renewal this summer and which had shielded books and paper from Canadian and Mexican tariffs. Elizabeth Bartheld, VP of global government relations at paper manufacturer Sylvamo, said at the BISG webinar that given the state of U.S.-Canadian relations, she did not see how Canada would fit into a renegotiated USMCA.
The existing 7.5% tariff on some books printed in China, which predates Trump's second term and was not part of the IEEPA orders, also remains in force.
