AsianFin -- A federal appeals court on Thursday temporarily paused a lower-court decision that invalidated most of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, granting the Trump administration a critical reprieve as it prepares its legal defense.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued the stay following a request from the administration, which had warned it would seek “emergency relief” from the Supreme Court as early as Friday if the ruling remained in effect.

The judgment from the U.S. Court of International Trade, delivered late Wednesday, was “temporarily stayed until further notice while this court considers the motions papers,” according to the appeals court’s order.

The pause provides the administration time to argue that the trade court’s decision should be blocked for the duration of the appeals process. Trump officials have also indicated they are exploring alternative legal avenues to reinstate tariffs, even if they ultimately lose this case.