Twelve US States File Lawsuit Against Trump Over Tariffs

A coalition of 12 U.S. states filed a lawsuit on Wednesday, April 23, challenging the Trump administration’s tariffs, arguing that the president lacks the authority to impose such levies without congressional approval.

“President Trump’s insane tariff scheme is not only economically reckless — it is illegal,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a statement.

The southwestern state, along with Democratic-led Minnesota, New York, Oregon, and several others, joined forces in the lawsuit. Separately, California had filed a similar challenge the previous week.

President Donald Trump has shaken global markets during his second term by upending longstanding free trade policies with his “Liberation Day” announcements, introducing sweeping tariffs against multiple countries.

He has imposed an additional 145 percent in import duties on China, prompting Beijing to retaliate with 125 percent tariffs on American goods. Despite the escalating trade war, Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he is working toward a “fair deal with China.”

In addition to the China tariffs, the Trump administration has slapped 10 percent tariffs on several other trade partners and is threatening even harsher levies.

The lawsuit filed on Wednesday argues that Trump’s actions exceed the authority granted by the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), asserting that only Congress has the constitutional power to impose tariffs.

“By claiming the authority to impose immense and ever-changing tariffs on whatever goods entering the United States he chooses, for whatever reason he finds convenient to declare an emergency, the President has upended the constitutional order and brought chaos to the American economy,” the lawsuit alleges.

Trump has claimed that his protectionist trade policies are designed to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States. He argues that by imposing tariffs and renegotiating trade agreements, American industries will be shielded from unfair foreign competition, thereby revitalizing domestic production and boosting employment in the manufacturing sector.

“No matter what the White House claims, tariffs are a tax that will be passed on to Arizona consumers,” Mayes said.

Donald Trump’s approval rating has continued to decline over his first three months in office, reaching a new low of 44 percent this week.