25 States Sue Trump Administration Over New Forced-Labor Tariffs

A coalition of 25 states, led by New York and including California, filed a lawsuit Monday against the Trump administration over its newest round of tariffs, alleging the administration is using forced-labor concerns as a legal pretext to bypass a recent Supreme Court ruling.

The lawsuit challenges double-digit tariffs imposed last month on 59 countries and the European Union. The administration levied the import taxes after alleging the targeted nations failed to sufficiently combat goods produced through forced labor. The controversial measures took effect immediately after temporary tariffs expired.

State attorneys general argue the administration is attempting an unlawful workaround after losing a landmark case in federal court. New York Attorney General Letitia James stated that 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.

The legal challenge follows a February Supreme Court decision that struck down earlier trade restrictions. President Donald Trump had previously invoked the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose sweeping double-digit tariffs on foreign imports, arguing that national trade deficits constituted a national emergency. The High Court ruled the statute did not grant tariff authority, forcing the federal government to issue refunds to affected importers.

To compensate for lost revenue, President Trump enacted temporary 10% worldwide tariffs, which expired at midnight on July 24. The latest forced-labor tariffs were subsequently introduced to maintain import taxes.

Joining California and New York in the lawsuit are Arizona, 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.

President Trump has maintained that high tariffs are essential to revitalizing American manufacturing, reversing decades of federal trade policy focused on lowering trade barriers. The lawsuit seeks to halt the new tariffs, arguing they place an illegal financial burden on consumers and businesses across the nation.

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