A coalition of 25 Democratic-led US states is suing the Trump administration over its latest round of tariffs, arguing the White House is trying to get around a Supreme Court ruling that blocked the president’s earlier import taxes.
The lawsuit is challenging new tariffs of between 10 and 12-and-a-half percent on goods from 59 countries, including South Africa and the European Union, over alleged forced labour concerns.
The states say the administration is using a different legal authority to bring back tariffs that the nation’s highest court has already ruled were imposed unlawfully.
The complaint argues the administration rushed the Section 301 investigation, which seeks to address unfair foreign trade practices and failed to establish the factual record required by law before imposing the tariffs.
The Trump administration says the new measures are justified because they target countries that have failed to stop goods made with forced labour from entering global supply chains.
It says the tariffs are designed to protect American workers. But the states argue that’s simply a new legal justification for the same broad tariffs that were previously struck down.
They’re asking the US Court of International Trade to block the measures and order refunds of any tariffs already collected.
VIDEO | Trump administration faces lawsuit over tariffs:
