In the US, 25 states have sued the Trump administration over new tariffs

A coalition of 25 US states has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over new import tariffs, arguing that the White House illegally imposed the tariffs to compensate for losses after the Supreme Court ruled most of Trumpʼs tariffs illegal in February.

The Associated Press writes about this.

In late July, the US imposed tariffs of 10 to 12.5% on goods from 59 countries and the European Union. The Trump administration explained this by saying that these countries were not doing enough to combat imports of products made using forced labor.

The new duties came into effect just as temporary tariffs imposed by Trump after his Supreme Court defeat expired.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said that now the Trump Administration is again trying to illegally raise taxes on American families and businesses through new tariffs.

The lawsuit, which the states reported on Monday, August 3, was joined by 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, in addition to New York.

The White House denies the allegations, saying the new tariffs were imposed legally under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows sanctions against countries that engage in unfair trade practices. This is the mechanism Trump used during his first term to impose tariffs on China.

The statesʼ lawsuit is the third legal challenge to the new tariffs. Similar lawsuits have been filed against the US administration by small American businesses, who say the government has failed to prove why the tariffs are necessary for each country and how they will help address the alleged violations.

Lawyers note that this time the Trump administration is relying on a law that US presidents have repeatedly used, so the litigation may be more complicated than previous ones.

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