25 Democratic-led states sue Trump administration over new Section 301 tariffs, calling them an illegal pretext

A coalition of 25 states filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade against the Trump administration, arguing that new tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on goods from 60 trading partners exceed presidential authority. The states allege the tariffs, imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and ostensibly aimed at combating forced labor, are a pretext to circumvent a Supreme Court ruling from February that struck down the administration's prior authority to levy broad import taxes. The lawsuit seeks to halt the tariffs, declare them unlawful, and order refunds—this marks the third multi-state legal challenge against Trump's tariff policies.

“The United States is using its lawful authority to obtain the elimination of unreasonable acts, policies, and practices that burden U.S. commerce. A foreign country's failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor...” — From the administration's legal defense statement, as reported by AP News. Quote verified against source