25 US states sue Trump administration over Section 301 tariffs

New York: A coalition of 25 states 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 levies of 10 percent or 12.5 per cent on the vast majority of goods imported from the affected economies. According to the states, these economies collectively account for 99.4 per cent of US imports.

The coalition is asking the court to block the tariffs, declare them unlawful, and order refunds for the duties already paid, reports Xinhua news agency.

The legal challenge centers on the administration’s effort to preserve Trump’s broad tariff regime after federal courts rejected two earlier versions imposed under different statutory frameworks. The states argue that federal officials seized upon Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and forced-labor concerns merely as a pretext to rapidly recreate nearly identical global duties that the Supreme Court previously 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,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul in a statement.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield echoed the sentiment, highlighting the economic impact on local communities. “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.”

“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,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said.

The White House rejected the coalition’s arguments, asserting that Section 301 tariffs have proven to be a “legally durable tool” since the president’s first term and remain so under the current administration.

Joining New York in the lawsuit announced Monday 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.

Monday’s (US local time) lawsuit marks at least the second major legal challenge to the new duties. A group of small businesses previously sued the administration, advancing a similar argument that Trump cannot leverage new legal authority to circumvent the Supreme Court’s prior invalidation of his overarching tariff agenda.

IANS