Twenty-five US states have sued President Donald Trump’s administration over a new wave of tariffs imposed on dozens of countries, escalating a legal battle over the president’s trade policies.
The coalition of Democratic-led states filed the lawsuit on Monday, challenging tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% that the US government says were introduced in response to trading partners’ failure to adequately address forced labour.
The affected countries include the UK, China and members of the European Union.
In a legal filing seen, the states described the administration’s decision as “arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law”, arguing that the tariffs exceeded the authority granted to the government.
The new duties, which took effect in July, were imposed under Section 301 of the 1974 US Trade Act, a provision that allows the US to take action against countries engaging in certain unfair trade practices, including those involving forced labour.
According to the Office of the US Trade Representative, the tariffs cover 99.4% of US imports.
The states accused the Trump administration of using forced labour concerns as a justification for maintaining what they described as an unlawful tariff programme.
“The tariffs the 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 lawsuit said.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul described the tariffs as “nothing more than a tax on hardworking families”, while Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield accused the administration of creating further economic uncertainty for workers and businesses.
“Despite losing every step of the way, Trump is trying yet again to inflict more chaos on working families and homegrown Oregon businesses,” Rayfield said.
“We’re all paying the price for these unlawful tariffs, not foreign governments,” he added.
The White House rejected the allegations, maintaining that the administration was acting within its legal authority.
White House spokesman Kush Desai said the US was “using its lawful authority” to address trade practices that place an unfair burden on American businesses.
He argued that countries failing to tackle the importation of goods produced through forced labour were engaging in unreasonable practices that needed to be addressed.
Several affected trading partners have also criticised the tariffs. Brazil and Japan separately described the measures as unjustified, while China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning accused Washington of using forced labour concerns as an “excuse for political manipulation.”
The latest measures come amid a broader trade dispute between Washington and Beijing, although their tit-for-tat tariff escalation is currently on hold.
Some analysts have also questioned how affected countries would demonstrate that they had adequately addressed the forced labour allegations.
Alex Capri, a business lecturer at the National University of Singapore, said the lawsuit could pose a “formidable challenge” to the tariffs.
He also questioned whether there was sufficient evidence to establish that the affected countries had harmed US companies by violating forced labour rules.
Capri predicted that exemptions and subsequent reductions could eventually weaken the impact of the tariffs.
The lawsuit represents the latest legal challenge to Trump’s sweeping trade policies since he returned to office in January 2025.
Last year, the US Supreme Court struck down many of the tariffs introduced under Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day” trade measures, prompting refunds worth tens of billions of dollars to companies that had paid the duties.
Trump has consistently defended tariffs as a tool for protecting American workers, strengthening domestic industries and boosting the US economy.
Following the court ruling, the administration replaced the invalidated duties with a temporary 10% tariff on global imports, which expired in July.
Further trade measures could also be introduced, with the US currently investigating 16 countries over allegations of manufacturing overcapacity.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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