WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 (ANI) — A coalition of 25 U.S. states has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging its latest tariffs on imports from the European Union and nearly 60 other countries imposed under a policy targeting goods allegedly produced with forced labor.
The states argue that the measures exceed the administration’s legal authority and will increase costs for American consumers and businesses.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade and led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with the attorneys general of Arizona and Oregon, challenges tariffs imposed following an investigation conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
According to a statement from the California Attorney General’s Office, the administration on Monday increased tariffs on imports from more than 80 trading partners, including the European Union and nearly 60 countries that together account for 99.4% of all U.S. imports.
The coalition argues that the added costs will ultimately be passed on to American consumers and businesses.
“President Trump is so intent on raising the cost of living for Americans that he is willing to break law after law after law to do so,” Bonta said in the statement.
Calling tariffs “taxes,” the California attorney general alleged that the administration was attempting, for the third time, to impose unlawful trade measures after earlier efforts had been challenged successfully in court.
The lawsuit argues that the latest tariffs stem from a Section 301 investigation into whether the targeted countries were doing enough to combat forced labor in global trade.
However, the states contend that the investigation served as a pretext to reinstate tariffs that had previously been struck down by U.S. courts.
According to the complaint, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) investigated nearly 60 economies simultaneously over roughly two and a half months, a significantly shorter period than the yearlong, country-specific investigations typically conducted under Section 301.
The coalition alleges that the investigation relied on broad case studies and macroeconomic analysis rather than country-specific findings, making the resulting tariffs inconsistent with the requirements of the Trade Act and in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act.
The filing also cites two previous legal setbacks for the administration. It notes that tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) were ruled unlawful, while a separate attempt to impose broad tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 was also successfully challenged before the U.S. Court of International Trade.
In addition to California, Arizona, and Oregon, the lawsuit was joined by the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, along with the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
Last month, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced new tariff rates ranging from 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 economies under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
The tariffs affect major U.S. trading partners following action directed by President Donald Trump over what Washington described as inadequate measures to prohibit imports of goods produced with forced labor.
Under the new tariff structure, India was placed in the lower 10% tariff category alongside 16 other economies, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Indonesia, Mexico, and Bangladesh. Official sources told ANI that although New Delhi had initially been slated for the higher 12.5% tariff bracket, it secured the lower rate following what they described as constructive and productive engagement with the United States on labor practices.
According to the USTR, the 10% tariff applies to economies that either maintain a prohibition on imports produced with forced labor, have committed to adopting one through a reciprocal trade agreement, or have partial regimes restricting such imports. A variable tariff of 10% to 12.5% applies to certain products from the European Union, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland, while all other countries covered by the investigation face the full 12.5% duty. (ANI)
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