Twelve US states have jointly filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging its controversial tariff policy. The case was submitted on Wednesday in the US Court of International Trade in New York. The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare the tariffs illegal and block federal agencies from enforcing them.
Tariff Policy Called “Illegal” and “Confusing”
The states argue that the Trump administration’s tariff decisions are not grounded in legal authority and instead appear to be based on “personal whims.” The lawsuit specifically challenges former President Donald Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose the tariffs. According to the filing, this misuse of emergency powers has “caused significant confusion and instability in the American economy.”
States Demand End to Tariff Enforcement
The coalition of states—Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, and Vermont—wants the court to prevent federal agencies from implementing the current tariff policy. They are urging a clear legal ruling that would curtail what they describe as executive overreach.
