What to know as SCOTUS weighs Trump's tariffs

Marketplace

American Public Media

Business, News

4.6 • 8K Ratings

🗓️ 4 November 2025

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday for and against the legality of President Trump’s signature economic policy: tariffs. In this episode, a lawyer walks us through what’s at stake and how the major questions doctrine may come into play. We also consider whether it’s possible to repay the $90 billion accumulated in tariff revenue should SCOTUS rule against the president, and scrutinize potential ‘plan B’ tariff policies.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	At Pluralsight, we don't just teach skills.
0:02.8	We are building the tech workforce who deliver results fast, accelerated by top-tier content.
0:08.6	Lead with confidence, lead with expertise.
0:11.1	Visit us at Pluralsight.com to tap in and learn more.
0:16.3	We are going to talk about one thing on the program today.
0:20.2	One Law.
0:21.6	It's a mouthful, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977, how it's being applied here in 2025.
0:30.4	From American Public Media.
0:32.8	This is Marketplace.
0:42.0	Music is Marketplace. I'm Kai Rizdahl. It is Tuesday, today the 4th of November.
0:45.6	It is always to have you along, everybody.
0:47.8	As I said, we are going to do the whole program today on the law behind President
0:51.9	Trump's Tariff Palooza back in April, those very nearly global import taxes that the president says he's allowed to do under the provisions of the aforementioned International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Aipa, is the shorthand.
1:06.1	And it is going to be the topic de jour at the Supreme Court of the United States tomorrow.
1:10.2	We're going to hear from a law professor and some analysts and economists, but we are going to
1:14.2	start with small business owners.
1:16.7	It was small businesses that file the suits that are going to be heard tomorrow, and it's
1:20.1	small businesses that are being hit most directly.
1:23.7	Katie Lazare is a general manager at Kane Vineyard and Winery in Napa Valley.
1:27.2	Todd Adams is the president of Santa Tube. That's a stainless steel tubing supplier for food manufacturers. We caught him, I should say, at the Houston Airport. Hello to you both. Welcome to the program. Thank you. Thanks for having us. Todd, let me start with you, and it's going to be the same question to the both of you. How is your business today versus business, say, a year ago? How's it going?
1:46.1	To be honest, business remained strong, and we're thankful for that. It is a lot more challenging
1:52.1	these days. Pricing has been much more fluid than it has ever been in the past, particularly on the
	...

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