25 US States Sue Trump Administration Over Sweeping New Tariffs

New York, Aug 2026 : A coalition of 25 US states has filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s latest round of tariffs, arguing that President Donald Trump exceeded his legal authority by imposing broad duties on imports from 60 trading partners.

The lawsuit, filed in the US Court of International Trade, seeks to block the newly imposed tariffs, declare them unlawful and require the government to refund duties that have already been collected. The states argue that the tariffs, ranging between 10 and 12.5 per cent on most goods imported from the affected economies, cover countries that collectively account for 99.4 per cent of US imports.

The legal challenge focuses on the administration’s attempt to preserve Trump’s broader tariff strategy after federal courts rejected two earlier versions of the measures imposed under different legal frameworks. The states allege that the administration has relied on Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and concerns related to forced labour as a pretext to rapidly recreate duties similar to those previously struck down by the US Supreme Court.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul strongly criticised the tariffs, arguing that they would increase the financial burden on American households.

“President Trump’s illegal tariffs are nothing more than a tax on hardworking families, driving up the cost of groceries, household essentials, building materials, and countless everyday goods that New Yorkers rely on,” Hochul said in a statement.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield also condemned the measures, saying his state was participating in another multistate legal challenge against the administration’s tariff policy.

“Today, we’re filing our third lawsuit against Trump’s illegal tariffs,” Rayfield said in a post on X. He argued that the duties would increase costs for families and small businesses and said the coalition was seeking judicial intervention to stop the policy.

New York Attorney General Letitia James similarly accused the administration of attempting to impose additional costs on American families and businesses after losing an earlier legal battle over tariffs.

“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,” James said.

The White House, however, rejected the states’ arguments and defended the legality of the tariffs. Administration officials maintained that tariffs imposed under Section 301 have proved to be a legally durable instrument since Trump’s first term and remain valid under the current administration.

The coalition bringing the latest lawsuit includes New York, 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.

The lawsuit represents at least the second significant legal challenge to the administration’s latest tariff measures. A group of small businesses had previously filed a separate case, making a similar argument that Trump cannot use newly invoked legal authority to bypass the Supreme Court’s earlier rejection of his broader tariff programme.

The states’ latest challenge could therefore become another major test of presidential authority over US trade policy. While the administration argues that the tariffs are legally justified, the states contend that the measures amount to an attempt to revive a tariff regime that courts have already rejected.

The court’s response to the lawsuit could have significant implications for US trade policy, government revenue collection and the costs faced by American consumers and businesses.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)