Twenty-five states sue the administration over new tariffs imposed on 60 trading partners
A coalition of 25 Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit on Monday against the administration to block a new round of tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% on goods from 60 trading partners. The administration announced that these duties, which cover 99.4% of US imports, were imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to penalize countries that have failed to properly address forced labor in their manufacturing processes. Democratic leaders, including New York Governor Kathy Hochul, argue that the administration is using forced labor as a pretext to continue an illegal tariff scheme that increases costs for American families. The lawsuit seeks to have the tariffs declared unlawful and requests refunds for duties already paid. While the administration maintains it is using its lawful authority to address practices that burden US commerce, critics argue the levies are too broad and lack sufficient evidence. The legal challenge follows previous Supreme Court rulings that struck down other tariff schemes initiated by President Trump.