25 US States Sue Trump Administration Over Import Tariffs, Citing Presidential Overreach

A coalition of 25 American states has filed a lawsuit against the administration of President Donald Trump over new import tariffs imposed on 60 trading partners. The suit, registered at the US Court of International Trade on Monday local time, argues that the president exceeded his legal authority in enacting the duties. The states are contesting tariffs of 10 to 12.5 per cent imposed on most goods from the affected countries, which together account for approximately 99.4 per cent of total US imports. The plaintiffs are asking the court to strike down the policy, declare it unlawful, and order the government to refund all tariffs already paid by importers. In the lawsuit, the coalition contends that the federal government is using Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and the issue of forced labour as a pretext to revive a global tariff regime that was previously struck down by the US Supreme Court in February. New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated that the illegal tariffs are nothing more than a tax on hardworking families, driving up the cost of groceries, household necessities, building materials, and other daily goods. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield noted this marks the third time his state has taken legal action against the administration’s tariff policies, asserting that the president is once again raising prices for families and small businesses. New York Attorney General Letitia James added that after losing at the Supreme Court, the administration is attempting to illegally raise taxes on families and businesses through a new round of tariffs. The White House rejected the allegations, maintaining that Section 301 tariffs have been a powerful legal instrument since Trump’s first term and remain valid. The states joining New York in the suit include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. This legal challenge represents the second major lawsuit against the latest import tariffs, following a similar suit by a group of small businesses arguing the president cannot use a new legal basis to circumvent a Supreme Court ruling that struck down a previous tariff agenda.