Twenty-Five States Sue, Ask Court To Strike Down Trump’s New Tariffs

NEW YORK, NY-A coalition of 25 US states has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that US President Donald Trump exceeded his legal authority by imposing sweeping new tariffs on goods from 60 trading partners, according to a court document.

The complaint, filed in the US Court of International Trade, challenges the recently enacted tariffs of 10 per cent or 12.5 per cent on the vast majority of goods imported from the affected economies, which the states said account for 99.4 per cent of US imports.

The coalition has asked the court to block the tariffs, declare them unlawful and order refunds of duties already paid.

According to the lawsuit, the administration invoked Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and forced-labor concerns to reimpose tariffs that the states argue are substantially similar to those the Supreme Court struck down in February.

“President Trump’s illegal tariffs are nothing more than a tax on hardworking families, driving up the cost of groceries, household essentials, building materials, and countless everyday goods that New Yorkers rely on,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield also criticized the tariffs.

“Today, we’re filing our third lawsuit against Trump’s illegal tariffs,” Rayfield wrote on X. “Once again, the president is raising costs on everyday goods for Oregon families and small businesses, and once again, we’re leading a multistate coalition stepping up to stop him.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James also criticized the administration’s move.

“After losing at the Supreme Court, the administration is once again trying to illegally raise taxes on families and businesses with a new round of tariffs,” James said.

The White House rejected the coalition’s arguments, saying Section 301 tariffs have remained a “legally durable tool” since Trump’s first term and continue to be so under the current administration.

The states joining New York in the lawsuit are 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.

The lawsuit, filed on August 3, is the second major legal challenge to the new tariffs after a group of small businesses filed a similar suit, arguing that the administration cannot use new legal authority to circumvent the Supreme Court’s earlier ruling against Trump’s broader tariff policy. (IANS)