Relief for Indian in Sight? 25 US States Sue Trump Administration Over New Tariffs on 60 Trading Partners Including India
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
A coalition of 25 US states has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that President Donald Trump exceeded his legal authority by imposing sweeping new tariffs on goods imported from 60 trading partners, including India.
The complaint, filed in the US Court of International Trade, challenges recently imposed tariffs of 10% and 12.5% on a broad range of imported goods from the affected economies. According to the states, the countries covered by the tariff measures account for 99.4% of total US imports.
The coalition has asked the court to block the tariffs, declare them unlawful, and order refunds for duties already collected.
States challenge legal basis of tariffs
According to the complaint, the administration relied on Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and concerns related to forced-labour imports to introduce a tariff regime that closely resembles earlier versions that had already been rejected by federal courts.
The states argued that the administration was attempting to recreate a similar global tariff structure under a different legal framework after previous tariff measures faced judicial setbacks.
Following are the US states who joined the lawsuit against imposing new traiffs
State | State | State | State | State |
New York | California | Washington | Pennsylvania | Massachusetts |
Oregon | Illinois | New Jersey | Arizona | Colorado |
Connecticut | Delaware | Hawaii | Kentucky | Maine |
Maryland | Michigan | Minnesota | Nevada | New Mexico |
North Carolina | Rhode Island | Vermont | Virginia | Wisconsin |
Governors say tariffs will raise costs
New York Governor Kathy Hochul criticised the tariffs, saying they would increase the cost of groceries, household goods, building materials and other everyday products for American families.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said the lawsuit was intended to stop what he described as another attempt to increase costs for families and small businesses through additional tariffs.
New York Attorney General Letitia James also accused the administration of attempting to reintroduce tariffs despite earlier court rulings.
White House defends Section 301 powers
The White House rejected the coalition’s claims, maintaining that Section 301 tariffs remain a legally valid trade tool and can continue to be used under the current administration.
The lawsuit marks at least the second major legal challenge to the administration’s latest tariff measures, after a separate case filed by a group of small businesses raising similar constitutional and statutory concerns.
India among countries affected
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced the final tariff measures on July 23, imposing an additional 10% import duty on Indian goods from July 24 under Section 301 of the Trade Act. The measures followed a USTR investigation involving 60 economies, including India, over policies related to goods allegedly produced with forced labour, as per the press release of Ministry of Commerce & Industry
The United States had initially proposed a 12.5% tariff on India, but the final measure imposed a 10% duty, replacing the earlier temporary 10% tariffs that had been in effect for 150 days from February 24.
