Politics

25 States Are Suing to Block Trump’s Latest Tariffs on Nearly Every U.S. Import

By Mike Harper · August 4, 2026

This is the third time states have sued. The first two times, the courts ruled the tariffs were illegal. The prices went up anyway.

A coalition of 25 states filed a lawsuit Monday in the U.S. Court of International Trade asking the court to block President Trump’s latest round of tariffs, which impose 10% to 12.5% duties on imports from more than 60 countries — covering, by the states’ estimate, more than 99% of all U.S. imports.

The tariffs, which took effect July 31, were imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The Trump administration said countries that fail to enforce bans on goods made with forced labor are engaging in unfair trade practices. The states say the law was never intended for blanket tariffs on nearly everything the country imports.

“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.” New York Attorney General Letitia James said.

The legal history is unusually direct. In April 2025, 12 states filed the first lawsuit challenging Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose sweeping tariffs. In February 2026, the Supreme Court agreed — ruling that IEEPA does not give the president authority to impose tariffs. The administration pivoted to temporary 10% tariffs under a different law, Section 122 of the Trade Act. In May, the Court of International Trade ruled those tariffs unlawful as well.

This time, the administration is using Section 301, a provision traditionally employed for targeted trade actions against specific countries or sectors. The states argue the administration launched investigations into 59 countries and the EU in March and enacted tariffs just four months later — a timeline they say violates Section 301’s procedural requirements, which typically require a year-long investigation.

“President Trump is so intent on raising the cost of living for Americans that he is willing to break law after law after law to do so.” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said.

The White House defended the tariffs Monday. “The United States is using its lawful authority to obtain the elimination of unreasonable acts, policies and practices that burden U.S. commerce,” spokesman Kush Desai said.

For households, the practical impact has already arrived. The tariffs apply to consumer goods, clothing, electronics, auto parts, and food products imported from dozens of countries. Importers typically pass the cost to retailers, who pass it to shoppers. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found Democrats leading Republicans on economic management for the first time in nearly a decade, with rising energy prices and tariff-driven inflation weighing heavily on voters.

The lawsuit asks the court to declare the tariffs illegal and order refunds to importers who have already paid. Whether those refunds would reach consumers is an open question — but so is whether the tariffs survive long enough to matter.