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US appeals court reinstates Trump tariffs, sowing market confusion

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on May 29, 2025

2 min read

· Last updated: January 23, 2026

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US appeals court reinstates Trump tariffs, sowing market confusion
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By Rocky Swift and Ankur Banerjee TOKYO (Reuters) -A legal roadblock on U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs drew early cheer from markets on Thursday, but the risks of extended policy and

US Appeals Court Reinstates Trump's Tariffs, Causing Market Uncertainty

By Stephen Culp, Rocky Swift and Ankur Banerjee

NEW YORK (Reuters) -A U.S. appeals court reinstated President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs on Thursday, leaving Wall Street with no clear direction a day after most of the tariffs were blocked by a trade court, a move that had given markets a brief boost. 

Chaotic U.S. trade policy has sent global markets on a roller coaster in recent months. Equity markets were rattled by Trump's April 2 "Liberation Day" tariff announcements, which have since been repeatedly delayed and adjusted.  

Following a market revolt after the April 2 tariff shock, Trump paused most import duties for 90 days and vowed to hammer out bilateral deals with trade partners.

Markets have swung wildly through Trump's on-and-off tariff changes. The S&P 500 index is up 4.1% since duties were announced while European stocks have gained 2.0%.

Gold is up 5.9% from April 2, and the U.S. dollar index is down 4.4%. Ten-year Treasury yields have climbed 23 basis points to around 4.4%.

But U.S. stocks showed little reaction to the appeals court decision, having already pulled back from the rally sparked by Wednesday's trade court ruling.

Markets have grown accustomed to the president announcing steep tariffs only to postpone them soon afterward, giving rise to the acronym TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out), coined by the Financial Times. 

Asked on Wednesday by a reporter for his response to the term TACO, Trump said the question was "nasty" and in his defense of tariff changes, said: "It's called negotiation."

"Trump has already rolled back most of these tariffs anyway, so these court rulings are just headlines," said Adam Sarhan, chief executive of 50 Park Investments in New York.

"As far as I'm concerned, as long as the market doesn't tank on the news, it's just a secondary byproduct," Sarhan added.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 117.03 points, or 0.28%, to 42,215.73, the S&P 500 gained 23.62 points, or 0.40%, to 5,912.17, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 74.93 points, or 0.40%, to 19,175.87.

(Reporting by the Asia markets team; additional reporting by Stephen Culp and Caroline Valetkevitch in New York and Dhara Ranasinghe in London; Writing by Rocky Swift. Editing by Sam Holmes, Ros Russell and Nia Williams)

Key Takeaways

  • US appeals court reinstates Trump's tariffs.
  • Markets experience uncertainty and confusion.
  • Previous court ruling had blocked most tariffs.
  • Wall Street shows mixed reactions to the news.
  • Global markets affected by US trade policies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did the US appeals court decide regarding Trump's tariffs?
The US appeals court reinstated President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, leaving Wall Street uncertain about market direction.
How have markets reacted to Trump's tariff announcements?
Markets have experienced significant volatility due to Trump's on-and-off tariff changes, with the S&P 500 index up 4.1% since the tariffs were announced.
What is the acronym TACO related to Trump's tariffs?
The acronym TACO stands for 'Trump Always Chickens Out,' reflecting the market's expectation that Trump may postpone tariffs after announcing them.
What was the market's response to the appeals court decision?
U.S. stocks showed little reaction to the appeals court decision, as they had already pulled back from the rally sparked by a previous trade court ruling.
What are some recent economic indicators following the tariff announcements?
Gold prices have increased by 5.9% since April 2, while the U.S. dollar index has decreased by 4.4%, indicating mixed reactions in the financial markets.

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