On the 3rd, 25 U.S. states jointly filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Court of International Trade, seeking a ruling that the U.S. government’s recent tariffs imposed on 60 countries and regions—citing so-called 'forced labor' as the reason—are illegal and should be abolished. They also requested the suspension of these tariff measures during judicial review.
The states participating in the lawsuit include New York, Oregon, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, and 25 other states governed by the Democratic Party.
According to the lawsuit, the U.S. government has once again imposed tariffs on dozens of countries and regions, which will increase costs for American consumers and businesses. The latest tariff measure by the U.S. government does not comply with the requirements of Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and is merely using 'forced labor' as a pretext to continue its unlawful tariff plan. These states demand that the U.S. government refund the tariffs already collected on this basis.
Previously, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the president to impose large-scale tariffs; the U.S. Court of International Trade also found that the U.S. government had no legal basis under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose a 10% global import tariff.
On July 23, the Office of the United States Trade Representative issued a notice announcing that, pursuant to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and under the pretext of 'forced labor,' it would impose tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on 60 countries and regions to replace the global import tariffs that expired on July 24. The new tariffs went into effect on July 24. Several companies have already initiated two lawsuits in the U.S. Court of International Trade, seeking an order to suspend or revoke the new tariff measures.
White House: Exercising Statutory Authority
On the 3rd, White House spokesperson Desai issued a statement saying, 'The United States is exercising its statutory authority and is committed to eliminating unreasonable acts, policies, and practices that burden U.S. commerce.'
He stated, 'Since the president’s first term, Section 301 tariffs have proven to be a legally effective and sound tool, and that remains true today.'