US states challenge latest Trump tariffs
A group of 24 US states has launched a legal challenge to President Trump’s latest batch of tariffs against dozens of countries.
The new tariffs, which came into effect in July, were imposed under section 301 of the 1974 US Trade Act, which is designed to target nations that use forced labour.
Earlier this year, the US Supreme Court struck down previous sweeping tariffs imposed by Trump, finding that emergency legislation did not give him the power to impose tariffs without Congressional approval in peacetime.
The new challenge has been filed in the US Court of International Trade.
Pretext
“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,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James.
“No matter how the administration tries to justify it, the law and our constitution are clear that the president does not have the power to impose sweeping tariffs on whatever countries he wants,” she added.
The lawsuit, which calls for an order declaring the tariffs illegal, argues that the use of section 301 is a pretext for imposing the same tariffs that the Trump administration has previously tried to enact.
‘No meaningful investigation’
It states that there is no clear connection between the measure and its stated goal of combating forced-labour practices.
The states say that investigations into single countries under section 301 are complex and typically take up to a year to complete, adding that the administration has “failed to conduct a meaningful investigation” into countries’ efforts to combat forced labour.
The lawsuit also argues that the US Trade Representative’s authority under section 301 is “limited to specific circumstances and subject to rigorous procedural requirements”.