25 States Challenge Trump’s New Tariffs in Legal Action

WHO:

Fox News - States joining New York in the lawsuit include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

CBS News - California's attorney general filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration.

ABC News - A coalition of 25 states, led by Democratic governors, is involved in the lawsuit against the Trump administration.

CNBC - New York Attorney General Letitia James and New York Governor Kathy Hochul are key figures in the lawsuit.

WHAT:

Fox Business - The lawsuit is described as a thinly-veiled attempt to circumvent the Supreme Court's ruling against Trump's earlier import tariffs.

Fox Business - The Trump administration ordered the U.S. trade representative to investigate 60 trading partners for unfair trade practices earlier in the year.

Fox Business - The investigation found that 59 countries and the EU were not doing enough to crack down on imports produced by forced labor.

Fox Business - The lawsuit comes days after Trump criticized the Supreme Court for its rulings on his tariff policies and birthright citizenship, claiming they cost the U.S. "trillions."

CNBC - The lawsuit also points to the timing of the tariffs, which were announced on July 23, one day before temporary duties imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act expired, allowing Trump's tariff regime to continue without interruption.

Fox News - Trump's latest tariffs hit 59 countries and the European Union, arguing they are committing "forced labor violations" by not cracking down on imports from certain sources.

CNBC - The states argue that the U.S. Trade Representative completed the 60 investigations in about two and a half months and grouped the economies into four tariff categories, with only 2.5 percentage points separating the two main rates.

CNBC - The complaint alleges that the USTR identified no link between the rates and the prevalence of forced-labor-tainted goods in each economy.

CNBC - The filing points to exemptions the states say undermine the administration's rationale, citing frozen beef from Brazil as one of three examples of goods connected to forced labor, but exempted from the tariffs.

ABC News - The lawsuit was filed on a Monday, specifically challenging the tariffs as a "pretext" for replacing import taxes struck down by the Supreme Court in February.

CNBC - The states argue that the U.S. Trade Representative completed investigations into 60 economies in about two and a half months.

CNBC - The complaint alleges that the USTR grouped the economies into four tariff categories with only 2.5 percentage points separating the two main rates.

CNBC - The complaint points out that the USTR identified no link between the tariff rates and the prevalence of forced-labor-tainted goods in each economy.

CBS News - Twenty-five states are suing the Trump administration to block new tariffs imposed on goods from 60 countries.

ABC News - The lawsuit claims the new tariffs are a "pretext" for replacing import taxes previously struck down by the Supreme Court.

CNBC - The tariffs imposed are 10% or 12.5% on most goods imported from the affected economies, which account for 99.4% of U.S. imports.

CNBC - The states are asking the court to halt the tariffs, declare them unlawful, and order refunds of duties paid.

WHERE:

CNBC - The complaint was filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade.

WHEN:

CNBC - The tariffs were announced on July 23, one day before temporary duties under Section 122 of the Trade Act expired.

WHY:

Fox Business - Trump stated on Truth Social that the Supreme Court's negative rulings on tariffs and birthright citizenship have cost the nation "trillions and trillions of dollars."

Fox News - New York Attorney General Letitia James stated, "After losing at the Supreme Court, the administration is once again trying to illegally raise taxes on families and businesses with a new round of tariffs."

CNBC - New York Gov. Kathy Hochul stated that the tariffs are "a tax on hardworking families," which would increase costs for groceries, household essentials, and building materials.

CBS News - The states argue that the new tariffs are hurting consumers and businesses.

CNBC - The lawsuit alleges that President Trump exceeded his authority by imposing the tariffs and that the administration is trying to illegally raise taxes on families and businesses.

CNBC - The administration claims the tariffs are necessary to address forced labor concerns in the supply chains of the affected countries.

HOW:

CNBC - The complaint alleges that the USTR did not establish benchmarks for countries to meet in order to have the duties lifted.

CNBC - The U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is accused of rushing investigations into 60 economies and failing to provide country-specific consultations.

CNBC - The complaint alleges that the USTR grouped economies into four tariff categories with only 2.5 percentage points separating the two main rates.

CNBC - The states argue that Section 301 of the Trade Act permits trade action only after a specific country's unfair practices are investigated and that tariffs must be tailored to address those practices.

(UPDATED August 4, 2026 21:09 UTC)

A new lawsuit has been filed that is seen as an attempt to bypass the Supreme Court's previous ruling against Trump's import tariffs. Earlier this year, the Trump administration directed the U.S. trade representative to investigate 60 trading partners for unfair trade practices, leading to findings that 59 countries and the EU were not adequately addressing imports produced by forced labor. This legal action follows Trump's recent criticism of the Supreme Court on social media, where he claimed that their decisions on tariffs and birthright citizenship have cost the U.S. "trillions and trillions of dollars."

(UPDATED August 4, 2026 15:27 UTC)

A coalition of states, including New York, Arizona, California, and many others, has filed a lawsuit against President Trump over his latest tariffs, which target 59 countries and the European Union for alleged "forced labor violations." The lawsuit highlights the timing of these tariffs, announced just one day before temporary duties under Section 122 of the Trade Act were set to expire, allowing Trump's tariff regime to continue without interruption. New York Attorney General Letitia James criticized the administration, stating that after losing at the Supreme Court, it is attempting to illegally raise taxes on families and businesses through this new round of tariffs.

(UPDATED August 4, 2026 10:35 UTC)

A group of states has filed a complaint against the U.S. Trade Representative, claiming that the recent tariff investigations were completed too quickly and lacked a clear connection between the tariff rates and the presence of forced labor in the economies assessed. They argue that certain exemptions, like frozen beef from Brazil, undermine the rationale behind the tariffs, which New York Governor Kathy Hochul describes as a tax on hardworking families that will raise costs for essential goods. Additionally, the complaint points out that there were no established benchmarks for countries to meet in order to have these duties lifted.

(UPDATED August 4, 2026 04:10 UTC)

A lawsuit has been filed challenging recent tariffs, claiming they serve as a "pretext" to replace import taxes that were previously struck down by the Supreme Court. The states involved argue that the U.S. Trade Representative conducted investigations into 60 economies in just two and a half months, and they allege that no connection was made between the tariff rates and the presence of forced-labor-tainted goods. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has criticized these tariffs as "a tax on hardworking families," warning that they could lead to higher costs for everyday essentials like groceries and building materials.

(UPDATED August 4, 2026 00:06 UTC)

California's attorney general has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, joined by a coalition of 25 states led by Democratic governors, including key figures like New York Attorney General Letitia James and Governor Kathy Hochul. The lawsuit seeks to block new tariffs imposed on goods from 60 countries, claiming these tariffs are a "pretext" for replacing import taxes previously struck down by the Supreme Court, and requests the court to declare them unlawful and order refunds of duties paid. The states argue that the tariffs, which are set at 10% or 12.5% on most goods and affect 99.4% of U.S. imports, are harming consumers and businesses while alleging that President Trump exceeded his authority in their imposition.