New York Attorney General Letitia James and the top prosecutors of 23 other states once again sued to block President Donald Trump's global tariff regime, just days after a landmark Supreme Court decision struck down his previous effort.
Their lawsuit, filed Thursday in the Court of International Trade, seeks to deem Trump's latest tariffs illegal and order refunds to states.
Last month, the Supreme Court invalidated most of Trump's sweeping "Liberation Day" tariffs implemented last year, saying that his use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose duties was improper.
But the president sought to keep his signature policy alive by immediately announcing a new wave of tariffs, these based on another law, Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. That global tariff rate is currently set at 10%, but the Trump administration has said it plans to raise it to 15%.
"After the Supreme Court rejected his first attempt to impose sweeping tariffs, the president is causing more economic chaos and expecting Americans to foot the bill," James said in a statement provided to CNBC.
"President Trump is ignoring the law and the Constitution to effectively raise taxes on consumers and small businesses," she said.
The move from the coalition of state attorneys general — most of whom were part of the successful effort to block Trump's original tariffs — adds to the ongoing international uncertainty created by the president's tariff policies. On Wednesday, a federal court ruled that companies that paid tariffs struck down last month by the Supreme Court are due billions of dollars in refunds.
"The President is using his authority granted by Congress to address fundamental international payments problems and to deal with our country's large and serious balance-of-payments deficits," said White House spokesman Kush Desai. "The Administration will vigorously defend the President's action in court."
— Source: CNBC Business (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/05/trump-tariffs-state-ags-sue-supreme-court-decision.html)
