Twenty-five Democratic-led US states filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday, arguing that the president’s latest round of tariffs on goods from about 60 trading partners exceeds his legal authority to tax imports.
The complaint, filed in the US Court of International Trade in New York, contends that the new duties unlawfully replace earlier tariffs that federal courts have already struck down. The states are asking the court to block the measures and declare them invalid.
The tariffs at the center of the dispute took effect last month and covered a broad swath of imports from dozens of countries. The move drew immediate legal pushback within hours of implementation, when small US businesses sued to halt the duties on the same day they came into force.
At issue is the scope of presidential power to impose sweeping import taxes. The states argue that the administration has repeatedly stretched emergency and trade authorities beyond their intended limits, effectively imposing a tax on Americans without congressional approval.
The latest levies were introduced as part of a wider expansion of US trade measures. The administration had earlier rolled out fresh tariffs on more than 60 countries, citing a range of policy and trade concerns.
The states’ filing follows a pattern of legal challenges that have shadowed the administration’s trade agenda. Several of the president’s previous tariff packages were invalidated by courts that found they overstepped the executive branch’s authority, prompting the government to reintroduce duties under different legal justifications.
Businesses and state governments have argued that the on-again, off-again nature of the tariffs has created significant uncertainty for importers, manufacturers and consumers, complicating supply chains and raising costs across multiple industries.
The administration has defended the tariffs as necessary tools to protect domestic industry and address what it describes as unfair trade practices by foreign partners.
The case is expected to move through the Court of International Trade before any potential appeal, with the possibility that the broader legal fight over tariff authority ultimately reaches the US Supreme Court. A ruling could have far-reaching implications for how much power future presidents wield over trade policy.