A group of 12 US states sue Trump administration to stop the ‘unlawful’ and ‘reckless’ tariff policies

Twelve US states filed a lawsuit on Wednesday (23rd April) challenging the tariff policies of the Trump administration. The states of Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York and Vermont brought the lawsuit against the tariff policies, alleging that they are unlawful and harm the national economy.

In February, a month after assuming office, US President Donald Trump outlined a new trade policy focused on fairness and reciprocity and said that the US would implement reciprocal tariffs, charging other countries the same tariffs they impose on American goods. On April 2, he declared a widespread imposition of tariffs on countries worldwide.

In the lawsuit, the Trump administration is accused of abusing emergency power under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), 1997, to impose the tariffs unilaterally without the approval of Congress. It is the argument of the states that only Congress is empowered to levy tariffs. They said that the President can invoke the IEEPA in case of ‘unusual and extraordinary threat’ from abroad, and not to introduce far-reaching changes in the trade policy. The states requested the court to declare the tariffs illegal and prevent the government agencies from enforcing them.

By claiming the authority to impose immense and ever-changing tariffs on whatever goods entering the United States he chooses, for whatever reason he finds convenient to declare an emergency, the President has upended the Constitutional order and brought chaos to the American economy,” the lawsuit stated.

California Governor files a separate lawsuit

Last week, a separate suit was reportedly filed by California Governor Gavin Newsom in the US District Court in California’s Northern District regarding the tariff policy. Newsom claimed that California, being the largest importer in the US, would lose billions of dollars. In a release, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes described the tariff policy as “insane” and said that “it was not only economically reckless, it is illegal”.

Responding to the suit filed by Newsom, White House spokesperson Kush Desai said that the Trump administration “remains committed to addressing this national emergency that’s decimating America’s industries and leaving our workers behind with every tool at our disposal, from tariffs to negotiations”.

Global markets took a hit after Trump announced reciprocal tariffs. While tariffs on Indian products are relatively lenient, Trump has imposed aggressive tariffs on certain countries, including China.

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