Twenty-five states, including Arizona, California, and Texas, are suing the Trump administration over its latest tariffs, calling them a pretext for replacing import taxes the Supreme Court struck down in February. The United States last month imposed double-digit tariffs on 59 countries and the European Union, charging that they had not done enough to crack down on imports produced by forced labor.

Tariff Dispute

The new tariffs took effect just as the clock ran out on temporary tariffs President Donald Trump had turned to after the Supreme Court defeat. New York Attorney General Letitia James said, “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.”

The Trump administration argues that high tariffs will revive American manufacturing. Invoking the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, he imposed double-digit tariffs on imports from almost every country, saying America’s longstanding trade deficit amounted to a national emergency. However, the Supreme Court ruled that IEEPA did not authorize tariffs.

The administration is now using Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose the forced-labor tariffs, which range from 10% to 12.5% and hit countries that provide 99% of American imports. White House spokesman Kush Desai said, “The United States is using its lawful authority to obtain the elimination of unreasonable acts, policies, and practices that burden U.S. commerce.”

Original reporting: NBC Connecticut — read the source article.