IEEPA

Definition

IEEPA grants the President broad authority to regulate international commerce in response to a declared national emergency. In tariff policy, IEEPA has been invoked to impose fentanyl-related surcharges on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada (Executive Order 14195 and successors), and was the original legal basis for the reciprocal-tariff framework before that framework was struck down by the Supreme Court in early 2026 and replaced by Section 122. IEEPA-based tariffs were the first attempt to use emergency powers for what is functionally an economic-policy tariff. Active IEEPA tariffs in 2026 are limited to the fentanyl surcharges; the broader reciprocal framework migrated to Section 122.