WASHINGTON — In a dramatic escalation of his “America First” trade agenda, President Donald Trump has announced a 15% flat tariff on all global imports, effective from February 24, 2026. This move comes just 24 hours after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down his earlier reciprocal tariff regime as unconstitutional.

Bypassing the Court Invoking the rarely used Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, Trump has bypassed Congress to implement this 150-day temporary surcharge. “We are protecting American workers from countries that have been ‘ripping’ us off for decades,” Trump stated on Truth Social. While the 10% rate was initialy proposed on Friday, the President hiked it to 15% following what he called a “ridiculous” court ruling.

Impact on India For India, this is a double-edged sword. While the earlier proposed 25% reciprocal duty is now gone, the new 15% flat rate is slightly higher than the 10% initially expected. However, Indian exporters in the textile, gems, and jewelry sectors may find some relief compared to previous high-tariff threats. Notably, certain agricultural products and automobiles have been granted temporary exemptions.