• Trump raised the worldwide tariff from 10% to 15% via Truth Social on Saturday, calling it “effective immediately”
• The 15% rate is the statutory maximum allowed under Section 122, leaving no room for further escalation without Congress
• The increase came less than 24 hours after Trump signed the original 10% executive order following Friday’s Supreme Court defeat

WASHINGTON, DC (TDR) — President Donald Trump raised his newly announced global tariff from 10% to 15% on Saturday — hitting the legal maximum allowed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 — less than 24 hours after signing the original executive order in response to the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling striking down his IEEPA tariffs.

“I, as President of the United States of America, will be, effective immediately, raising the 10% Worldwide Tariff on Countries, many of which have been ‘ripping’ the U.S. off for decades, without retribution (until I came along!), to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level.”

Trump made the announcement via Truth Social Saturday morning, describing it as the result of “a thorough, detailed, and complete review” of what he called the court’s “extraordinarily anti-American decision.”

Why 15% Is The Ceiling

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Section 122 — never previously used to impose tariffs before Friday — gives the president authority to levy a temporary import surcharge of up to 15% for a maximum of 150 days to address “large and serious” balance-of-payments deficits. Any extension beyond 150 days requires an Act of Congress.

By jumping immediately to the statutory ceiling, Trump has exhausted his escalation room under this authority. The only path to higher rates now runs through Congress — the same body where six House Republicans broke ranks to vote against the president’s tariff authority earlier this month and where GOP leadership holds a single-seat majority.

Asked Friday whether he needed congressional approval, Trump was dismissive.

“We have the right to do pretty much what we want to do.”

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Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) offered a pointed counter Friday, before the 15% increase was announced.

“Congress’ role in trade policy, as I have warned repeatedly, is not an inconvenience to avoid.”

The move also means the 150-day clock — which began when Trump signed the original order Friday — now runs at maximum intensity from nearly the start. The tariffs are set to expire in mid-July 2026 unless Congress acts, placing the expiration squarely in midterm election season.

What The 15% Rate Covers — And What It Doesn’t

According to a White House fact sheet, the tariff includes exemptions for certain agricultural products — including beef, tomatoes and oranges — as well as critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, some electronics and passenger vehicles.

BNN Bloomberg reported that goods compliant under CUSMA, the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement, are also exempt. The duty does not stack on top of existing sector-specific tariffs on steel, aluminum and automobiles imposed under Section 232.

Tariffs that survived Friday’s Supreme Court ruling — including Section 232 duties on metals and Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods — remain “in full force and effect,” as Trump stated Friday.

Trump also indicated that revised country-by-country rates would be announced “in the next short number of months” within legally permissible limits — suggesting the administration intends to use the 150-day window to build cases under Section 301 and Section 232 that could produce permanent, targeted tariffs.

The Revenue And Consumer Math

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Friday that using Section 122 combined with enhanced Section 232 and Section 301 tariffs would keep revenue stable.

“Treasury’s estimates show that the use of Section 122 authority, combined with potentially enhanced Section 232 and Section 301 tariffs, will result in virtually unchanged tariff revenue in 2026.”

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