Twelve states challenge Trump tariffs in trade court

The legal action follows a separate case brought by California last week.

The coalition contends that the tariffs, initiated by former President Donald Trump, are arbitrary and legally unsound, driven more by personal impulse than lawful authority.

The lawsuit asserts that the administration's use of IEEPA to justify sweeping tariffs violates the Constitution, which grants Congress, not the president, the authority to regulate trade.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to nullify the tariffs and bar federal agencies from enforcing them. At the time of publication, the Justice Department had not responded to a request for comment.

Joining the suit are Oregon, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, and Vermont. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes did not hold back, calling the tariff approach “insane” and “economically reckless.”

The suit warns that Trump's tariff powers have “disrupted the constitutional balance” by allowing the president to declare trade emergencies at will, without evidence of a genuine foreign threat, thereby undermining both economic stability and legal norms.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, launched a similar legal battle in federal court last week, warning that the state—America’s top importer—could suffer billions in lost revenue if the policy stands.

Responding to Newsom’s case, White House spokesperson Kush Desai defended the administration’s position, emphasising its commitment to using “every tool available,” including tariffs, to respond to what it calls a national economic emergency impacting American industry and jobs.