International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)
The IEEPA, enacted in 1977, grants the US President broad powers to regulate international commerce during declared national emergencies. It was originally designed to address specific foreign policy threats such as terrorism financing, sanctions enforcement, and currency manipulation, not as a general tariff-setting mechanism.
- IEEPA authorizes the President to "investigate, block during the pendency of an investigation, regulate, direct and compel, nullify, void, prevent or prohibit" transactions involving foreign countries during a declared national emergency.
- The Act contains no explicit reference to tariffs, duties, or taxation.
- Prior to this administration, no President had used IEEPA to impose tariffs; it was primarily used for sanctions (e.g., against Iran, North Korea, and Russia).
- Trump had declared national emergencies over drug trafficking (targeting Canada, Mexico, and China) and trade deficits to justify IEEPA-based tariffs of 10-25% on most imports.
● Tracked since February 20, 2026 · last seen June 23, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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