E-commerce stocks that were exposed to President Donald Trump’s far-reaching global tariffs rallied Friday, after the Supreme Court struck down a key pillar of the president’s economic agenda.
In a 6-3 ruling, the court said Trump does not have the legal authority to impose tariffs under the International Economic Powers Act, the method by which many of the levies were invoked. IEEPA does not explicitly mention tariffs.
The decision sent Amazon‘s stock up more than 2%, while Etsy climbed 6%. Shares of Shopify, Wayfair and eBay popped more than 3%. Pinduoduo Holdings, the parent company of ultracheap online marketplace Temu, jumped 4%.
Trump’s sweeping tariffs have been greatly disruptive to e-commerce companies that provide a platform for online businesses to hawk their wares.
In some cases, the tariffs have eaten into margins and forced businesses to lay off staff, raise prices or radically alter their supply chains.
Trump also invoked the IEEPA law when he announced the removal of the “de minimis” exemption, which allowed low-value packages to arrive in the U.S. without trade duties.
That dealt a blow to many small business owners on Etsy, eBay and Shopify who relied on the provision to support their marketplace businesses.
It also threatened to dismantle Temu and Shein’s businesses in the U.S.
The bargain retailers used the loophole to ship packages to American shoppers directly from China duty-free. In response, Temu briefly halted direct shipments from China. Both companies have since built up bigger seller bases and logistics operations in the U.S.
The end of de minimis and other dramatic changes in tariff policies, combined with a gloomy economic backdrop, have also weighed on consumer sentiment.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told CNBC in an interview last month that Trump’s tariffs have started to “creep” into the price of some items.
The company has observed some people trading down to lower-priced items and bargain hunting, while others are showing more hesitation around higher-priced discretionary items.
Etsy said in its annual report on Thursday that its business has been pressured by a pullback in discretionary spending and “evolving buyer behavior.”
“There is considerable uncertainty regarding the evolving tariff landscape, how recent changes to de minimis exemptions may play out, and the impact higher tariffs might have on consumer demand and discretionary wallet share,” the company wrote in its 10-K filing.
The online marketplace, which hosts many small businesses and artisan makers, also gave tepid guidance for first-quarter gross merchandise sales. CFO Lanny Baker said Etsy’s forecast assumes macroeconomic conditions remain “stable relative to where they are at present.”
Representatives from Etsy and Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the SCOTUS ruling.
The National Retail Federation, a major trade group, said in a statement that the ruling provides “much-needed certainty for U.S. businesses and manufacturers, enabling global supply chains to operate without ambiguity.”
Companies could now move to recover billions in tariff costs, with some already filing lawsuits in advance of the court’s decision.
Apple has paid about $3.3 billion in tariffs so far.
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