A coalition of US states have filed suit against the Trump administration over broad new tariffs covering imports from roughly 60 economies.
The lawsuit targets the latest round of levies imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, reports Bloomberg.
States including Oregon, New York and California argue the duties are arbitrary and exceed statutory limits while seeking to halt their enforcement.
Says the complaint,
“The Tariff Action is arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law. The Plaintiff States oppose forced labor in all its forms and support protections for workers around the globe. But the Administration cannot use forced labor as a pretext to continue its illegal tariff scheme. The tariffs the [U.S. Trade Representative] USTR imposed are so broad that they defy the USTR’s own stated aims and make a mockery of the statute used to justify them.”
The administration says these tariffs address alleged failures by the targeted economies to prohibit or enforce bans on goods made with forced labor. The tariffs come after the administration initiated related Section 301 investigations in March 2026 and determined the practices actionable in June.
Tariffs at rates of 10 percent or 12.5 percent took effect last month on nearly all goods from the listed economies.
Prior administration tariff actions under different authorities faced successful legal challenges and were struck down by courts including the Supreme Court and the Court of International Trade.
Separate complaints from small businesses have already raised similar objections to the current measures in the same Manhattan federal court.
The new filing expands the legal pressure on the trade policy and highlights ongoing disputes over presidential authority in this area.
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