May 30, 2025
U.S. Tariffs Reinstated Just One Day After Being Blocked
Tariff volatility continues to disrupt planning, quotes and orders for lighting people
On May 29, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reinstated President Donald Trump’s contested tariffs — just one day after a lower court had struck them down. The result: a 24-hour whiplash that left the commercial lighting supply chain dazed, mid-recalibration.
Lighting people exhaled after the May 28 ruling, which found that President Trump’s tariffs — imposed via Executive Orders under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act — exceeded presidential authority. For distributors, contractors and manufacturers, the court’s injunction signaled a rare opening. Price sheets were revised again. Big orders were placed while the window seemed open. Tariff-related refunds were requested. And then, just as quickly, the window slammed shut.
The appeals court granted a temporary administrative stay while it considers whether to leave the lower court’s decision on hold throughout the appeal process. For now, that means the tariffs are back in effect.
This isn’t the first stop-start tariff episode of 2025. In March, tariffs on Mexico and Canada were in force for just two and a half days before being reversed. That record now belongs to this week’s 24-hour backpedal.
As for what happens next: the plaintiffs — 12 states and several private companies — must respond to the government's stay request by June 5. The government replies by June 9. A full appeal, or even an emergency trip to the Supreme Court, could follow.
For lighting people, the uncertainty cuts deeper than any single ruling. It’s the speed and volatility — the sense that the rules can change, literally overnight — that’s hardest to price in.
