(The Center Square) – Economists told the U.S. Supreme Court that President Donald Trump's plan to reduce U.S. trade deficits will backfire, exacerbating the underlying issue the president used to justify the sweeping tariffs.

The economists filed a friend-of-the-court brief arguing that Trump's trade policies won't address the trade deficit emergency the president says gives him authority to impose broad tariffs that apply to nearly every imported product.

Trump said Tuesday that his use of tariffs generated $20 trillion in pledged U.S. investments from foreign countries. Those pledged investments would increase U.S. trade deficits, according to the economists.

"Thus, when the United States receives $1 trillion in foreign investments, it receives $1 trillion in imports," attorneys for

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