A coalition of 25 states sued the Trump administration over the new tariffs of between 10% and 12.5% imposed on 60 U.S. trading partners. New York, California, Illinois, and New Mexico are leading the legal action, filed before the International Trade Court.
The plaintiff states are asking the courts to declare the tariffs illegal, order their immediate suspension, and require reimbursement of the amounts already collected. The lawsuit comes months after the Supreme Court invalidated a previous tariff scheme from the same administration.
Which states are suing Trump and why?
The attorneys general argue that the White House used a 1974 forced labor law as a pretext to recreate the tariffs that the Supreme Court had struck down in February. According to the court filing, the investigations that justified the measure were completed in just two and a half months.
In addition to New York, California, Illinois and New Mexico, the lawsuit includes 21 other states and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
States included in the lawsuit
- Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware and Hawaii
- Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine and Michigan
- Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey and North Carolina
- Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin
How do these tariffs affect consumers?
New York Governor Kathy Hochul warned that the tariffs act as a direct tax on working families. In her view, the measure raises the cost of food, household goods, and construction materials.
Attorney General Letitia James stressed that the Constitution does not allow the president to impose global tariffs without clear limits. This is the second lawsuit against the tariff scheme, following a previous suit filed by small businesses in the country.