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Twenty five states sue Trump administration over latest global tariffs
CNBC • • general
Key Points:
- A coalition of 25 Democratic-led states sued the Trump administration, claiming President Trump exceeded his authority by imposing broad tariffs on goods from 60 U.S. trading partners, which account for 99.4% of U.S. imports.
- The states argue the tariffs, imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, were unlawfully applied without proper country-specific investigations and consultations, and that the uniform tariff rates do not correspond to the varying forced labor issues in each economy.
- The lawsuit seeks to halt the tariffs, declare them unlawful, and order refunds of duties paid, with officials stating the tariffs unfairly increase costs for families and businesses.
- The Trump administration defends the tariffs as lawful measures to address foreign countries' failure to prevent forced labor in supply chains, emphasizing the legal durability of Section 301 tariffs.
- The timing and process of the tariffs' imposition were criticized, with the states alleging the administration predetermined the outcome to maintain Trump's tariff regime despite previous court rulings against earlier tariff versions.
