• The U.S. Court of Appeals allows Trump's tariffs to stay in effect pending appeals.
• Oral arguments are scheduled for July 31, suggesting a lengthy legal battle.
• The legal ruling follows a lower court's decision that deemed the tariffs illegal.
• The Trump administration cites economic necessity and emergency powers in defense.
• Small businesses oppose the tariffs, claiming substantial financial harm.

A federal appeals court has granted President Donald Trump's request to maintain his sweeping tariffs on various countries while the legal challenges to these duties proceed. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that the tariffs, initially imposed in April, can remain in effect while the court considers the case on an expedited basis, with oral arguments scheduled for July 31. The decision extends a previous temporary stay granted after a lower court deemed the tariffs illegal on grounds that the president had overstepped his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), according to Reuters and The New York Times.

The appeals court's decision marks a temporary victory for the Trump administration, which argues that any interruption of the tariffs could undermine ongoing trade negotiations with other countries. Trump's tariffs include a 10% levy on nearly all imports and steeper duties targeting China, Mexico, and Canada, primarily framed as efforts to combat illegal drug trafficking and trade imbalances, as reported by CBS News, The Hill, and HuffPost.

Many small businesses that have challenged the tariffs argue that the ongoing imposition of these duties without resolution inflicts severe economic harm. They contend that maintaining Trump's tariffs could lead to financial instability and even bankruptcy, particularly for those reliant on imported goods subject to higher duties. This opposition highlights the significant impacts tariffs have had on market dynamics and small business viability, as noted by India Times and Channel News Asia.