25 states sue Trump administration over latest round of tariffs

A coalition of 25 states on Monday filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that it exceeded its authority in imposing a new round of sweeping tariffs last month.

The import duties, enacted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, target 60 economies with rates ranging from 10% to 12.5%.

California AG Rob Bonta is quoted calling it President Trump's third attempt to illegally impose tariffs that would make life more expensive for Americans, and calling the action a 'misuse of power'. Bonta also said 'Tariffs are taxes' and Americans should not bear 'the extra costs' of the president's 'failed and illegal economic policy'. The suit, filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade, alleges the tariffs 'are not designed to address forced labor, but rather are an effort by the White House to replace levies' the Supreme Court struck down in February, and that the USTR investigation was 'rushed and overly broad in hiking the levies'. White House spokesman Kush Desai defended the tariffs: 'The United States is using its lawful authority to obtain the elimination of unreasonable acts, policies and practices' and that a foreign country's failure to enforce forced-labor import bans 'is unreasonable and burdens U.S. commerce'. He also said 'Section 301 tariffs have proven to be a legally durable tool since the president's first term, and they remain so now.' Plaintiff states are California plus Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. Per Fitch Ratings, the effective U.S. tariff rate 'has fallen this year to 7.4%, from 9.4%' after temporary Section 122 duties were replaced with Section 301 tariffs on 60 economies. Edited by Alain Sherter; Associated Press contributed.