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Lutnick’s remarks on India’s purchase of Russian oil came as the Supreme Court is reviewing the legality of Trump’s sweeping tariffs under a 1977 emergency act.
US President Donald Trump
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick mentioned that President Donald Trump has asked India to end the purchase of Russian oil, as he defended the sweeping tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, whose legality is under question at the US Supreme Court.
“The President is using these tariffs to end the war in Russia and Ukraine. He has told India to stop buying (Russian) oil. If you take these (IEEPA) powers away from the President, he can’t make the world and the United States of America a safer place,” Lutnick said on Fox News.
“I think the Justices know it, they know the law. It was crystal clear if you sat through the second half of today, the President of the USA, Donald Trump, is going to win this case. These powers protect America,” he added.
.@howardlutnick: “If you take these [IEEPA] powers away from the President, he can’t make the world and the United States of America a safer place. I think the Justices know it… it was crystal clear if you sat through the second half of today… these powers protect America.” pic.twitter.com/sERdBqo9w4— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 6, 2025
His remarks came as the US Supreme Court began hearing arguments contesting the legality of sweeping tariffs imposed by Donald Trump using the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Lower courts have already ruled that Trump had exceeded legal bounds by employing IEEPA, which is meant for national emergencies, to impose tariffs against all US trading partners.
SC Cast Doubt On Trump’s Authority
While hearing oral arguments on Wednesday, Supreme Court justices cast doubt on Trump’s authority to impose tariffs under IEEPA, which contains no references to tariffs – only language on regulating imports during national emergencies declared by the US President, according to Reuters.
Damon Pike, a principal with BDO USA’s customs and trade services practice, said all the court’s justices, barring two, “seemed sceptical that IEEPA gives President Trump the power to levy unlimited tariffs on every product imported from every country around the world.”
The tariffs were challenged by businesses and 12 Democrat-led states, which contended that tariff power lies with Congress under the Constitution, not the president. However, the Trump administration has claimed that the tariffs generated around $89 billion in revenue between February and September and were intended to address national emergencies such as trade imbalances and drug trafficking.
Trump had imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods, including a 25% penalty for Russian oil purchases, that it argued had fuelled the ongoing Ukraine war. In recent days, Trump has claimed that India has agreed to cut their purchases of Russian oil following new US sanctions on Moscow’s energy sector.
However, India has repeatedly rejected Trump’s claims, maintaining that its energy policy remains guided by national interests and the need to secure affordable supplies. New Delhi continues to assert that it has not agreed to any US-led reduction in Russian oil imports.
What Happens If Trump Loses?
If the Supreme Court rules against Trump’s tariffs, the government could face enormous refund liabilities. However, Pike said that the government will simply invoke other trade laws, a view that senior Trump administration officials, companies and analysts have shared.
A ruling is unlikely before early 2026, and companies are totally in the dark about potential refunds of the more than $100 billion in IEEPA tariffs paid so far if Trump loses, Conference Board policy executive David Young told Reuters.
The issue of refunds was raised by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who said that it “could be a mess” for the courts to administer refunds to US importers who have paid tariffs that were declared illegal.
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
United States of America (USA)
November 06, 2025, 10:23 pm IST
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