Trump’s tariffs to face major court test brought by US small business owners

Plaintiffs argue president lacks legal power to impose duties under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act

Donald Trump's strategy of imposing sweeping tariffs on America's main trading partners will face a major test in the US courts on Thursday, four days after the president hailed the powerful deal" reached with the EU and just hours before a new round of punishing import duties is set to come into effect.

Trump has underpinned his tariff policy with an emergency power that is now being challenged as unlawful in the federal courts. On Thursday the US court of appeals for the federal circuit will hear oral arguments in the case, VOS Selections v Trump.