The Daily Fuckup

The tariff fight moved fast. On May 28, 2025, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that the tariffs challenged in V.O.S. Selections, Inc. v. Trump exceeded the authority the administration said it had under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The court granted summary judgment to the plaintiffs and set aside the challenged tariffs. ([cit.uscourts.gov](https://www.cit.uscourts.gov/sites/cit/files/25-66.pdf))

The next day, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit did not decide the merits of the appeal. Instead, on May 29, 2025, it entered an administrative stay that temporarily paused the trade court’s judgment and permanent injunction while it considered the government’s request for further relief. The order also set briefing deadlines and said the stay would remain in place only until further notice. ([cafc.uscourts.gov](https://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/opinions-orders/25-1812.ORDER.5-29-2025_2522636.pdf))

That distinction matters. The trade court’s decision was a substantive loss for the administration. The appellate order was procedural, not a final ruling on whether the tariffs survive on appeal. For the moment, the stay left the challenged tariffs in place while the litigation kept moving. ([cit.uscourts.gov](https://www.cit.uscourts.gov/sites/cit/files/25-66.pdf))

The practical result was a brief legal whiplash: one court said the tariff program went too far, and the next court hit pause before that decision could take effect. The broader fight over presidential trade power is still live, but the record as of May 30 is simple enough: the lower court ruled on May 28, and the Federal Circuit paused enforcement on May 29. ([cit.uscourts.gov](https://www.cit.uscourts.gov/sites/cit/files/25-66.pdf))