25 US States Sue Trump Admin Over New Tariffs On 60 Trading Partners, Including India

Published 4 August 2026 · finance

25 US States Sue Trump Admin Over New Tariffs On 60 Trading Partners, Including India Published By, Last Updated: August 04, 2026, 08:58 IST Twenty-five

25 US States Sue Trump Admin Over New Tariffs On 60 Trading Partners, Including India Published By, Last Updated: August 04, 2026, 08:58 IST Twenty-five US states have sued the Trump administration over its new Section 301 tariffs, arguing the forced labour justification is unlawful. A coalition of 25 US states has sued the Trump administration over its latest Section 301 tariffs, arguing the White House unlawfully imposed import duties on countries. (Photo: AP) A coalition of 25 US states has sued the Donald Trump administration over its latest round of tariffs imposed on dozens of countries, including India, arguing that the White House is unlawfully using concerns over forced labour to revive a sweeping tariff regime after suffering a defeat in the US Supreme Court earlier this year. The lawsuit, filed in the US Court of International Trade in New York, seeks to block the tariffs, declare them unlawful and compel the federal government to refund importers who have already paid the duties. The challenged tariffs, ranging from 10 per cent to 12.5 per cent, took effect after the expiry of temporary global tariffs on July 24. ALSO READ | ‘Last Chance Before Decapitation’: Trump Claims Iran Talks Underway Despite Tehran Denial They apply to nearly 60 trading partners, including India, and cover countries that account for almost all US imports.

States Allege Tariffs Are An Attempt To Circumvent Supreme Court Ruling The coalition argues that the Trump administration is using investigations into forced labour in global supply chains as a legal pretext to continue imposing broad tariffs after the Supreme Court ruled in February that the President could not rely on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to levy such import duties. According to the complaint, there is “no rational fit" between allegations of forced labour and the blanket tariffs imposed on countries representing nearly all US imports. The states further contend that the administration rushed the investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to preserve Trump’s tariff agenda after the earlier legal setback. “The Tariff Action is arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law," the complaint states. It adds, “The Plaintiff States oppose forced labour in all its forms and support protections for workers around the globe. But the Administration cannot use forced labour as a pretext to continue its illegal tariff scheme." ALSO READ | ‘Give Some Of It Back’: Trump Blasts Oil Giants For ‘Making Too Much Money’ Amid Iran War New York Attorney General Letitia James echoed that argument. “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, according to the Associated Press.