25 US states sue to block Trump tariffs

Twenty-five US states, primarily led by Democrats, filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump's administration over tariffs imposed on various countries, claiming that the president exceeded his authority in implementing the new levies. They filed the legal challenge at the US Court of International Trade in New York, requesting that the implementation of the tariffs be halted, declared unlawful, and ordered the US government to issue refunds.

The suit targets Trump's latest tariffs of 10% to 12.5% imposed on 60 trading partners, which accounted for the majority of US imports in the previous month. The tariffs were imposed following investigations by the US Trade Representative's office into allegations of forced labor, conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.

The coalition of states argues that there is no rational link between the alleged forced labor issue and the broad-based global tariffs imposed by the USTR. Since entering office for his second term, Trump has implemented numerous tariffs against various global trading partners, attempting to leverage them to secure new trade deals.

The White House responded to the lawsuit, asserting that the government's actions are legal and that Section 301 tariffs have been a reliable tool throughout Trump's presidency. The White House spokesperson Kush Desai stated that the US is utilizing its lawful authority to eliminate unreasonable acts, policies, and practices that harm US commerce.

The Section 301 tariffs have previously withstood legal challenges, most notably when the US Supreme Court overturned Trump's first round of tariffs in February. These new Section 301 tariffs replaced the expired 10% global levy, which had been in effect until July 24. The 25 states involved in the lawsuit are primarily governed by Democrats, with Nevada and Vermont being the exceptions, led by Republicans.

The states argue that the Section 301 investigations were a pretextual and unlawful attempt to exert unrestricted tariff power, highlighting the rushed and prejudged nature of the administration's statements regarding the investigations. The complaint asserts that the tariff actions are arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to the law.

The plaintiff states oppose forced labor in all its forms and support global worker protections, but they maintain that the administration cannot use forced labor as a justification for continuing its unlawful tariff scheme. Trump's separate sector-specific tariffs, imposed under different legal authorities on steel, automobiles, and other goods, have not been impacted by recent legal challenges.