A coalition of 24 US states has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking to roll back tariffs they argue were illegally imposed.
The lawsuit added to a growing wave of legal challenges from companies like Nintendo and Costco, as well as importers affected by the duties.
The outcome could change U.S. trade policy and determine whether importers receive billions in tariff refunds, a decision that will directly affect costs for retailers, manufacturers and logistics providers.
Filed Thursday in the United States Court of International Trade, the lawsuit from a coalition of 24 states is challenging the tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 after the Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump violated his authority by imposing sweeping tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Action Act (IEEPA).
Plaintiffs in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, Virginia, West Virginia, Virginia, court records.
Trump, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Customs and Border Protection, and a number of federal officials have been named as defendants in this lawsuit.
State officials argue that the administration has illegally imposed sweeping tariffs without congressional authorization, violating the Constitution’s provision that Congress — not the president — has the authority to impose tariffs and taxes on imports.
In the complaint, the states argue that the agency improperly used Section 122 to impose broad tariffs when the Supreme Court struck down similar duties under the IEEPA.
According to the documents, the president imposed a 10% tariff on most imports starting February 24 and later signed off on plans to raise the tariff to 15%.
State attorneys general argue that the law was only intended to be of limited use during balance-of-payments crises linked to currency instability — conditions they argue do not exist today.
“The Constitution gives the President, not Congress, the power to impose tariffs,” the states wrote in the complaint.
States also argue that tariffs already increase procurement costs for state governments and raise the prices of imported goods and components used by public institutions.
Meanwhile, gaming giant Nintendo filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government on Friday to seek a refund of tariffs it paid on imported products, according to Aftermath.
