New numbers hurt Trump’s case at the Supreme Court

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/02/19/trade-tariffs-deficit-supreme-court/

President Donald Trump justified his tariff offensive last year as a way to address the trade deficit, but the new taxes barely moved the needle. In fact, the gap between the value of goods the U.S. imports and goods it exports increased by 5.7 percent in 2025, according to Bureau of Economic Analysis data released Thursday.

While tariffs didn’t affect the trade deficit, they did harm the U.S. economy. They have changed the composition of trade to make it less efficient, and Americans have been hit by over $200 billion in higher taxes. Instead of finding the best suppliers to serve their customers, companies are finding the best lobbyists to gain favor with the government.

The facts about the trade deficit are legally relevant. The Supreme Court could decide any day on the legality of the tariffs Trump imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). That law gives the president special powers to “deal with an unusual and extraordinary threat.” Trump says trade deficits are such a threat.