By Hank Russell
A federal court ruled in favor of a coalition of 22 attorneys general — including Letitia James — and two state governors, which sued the Trump administration over the implementation of 10% tariffs on foreign goods coming into this country. The court ruled that the tariffs were illegal.
As previously reported in Long Island Life & Politics, on February 20, the United States Court of International Trade ruled 6-3 that sweeping tariffs imposed by the Trump administration under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) violate the law. But shortly after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of James and the coalition, the president issued a new proclamation imposing tariffs on a range of countries and goods using Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.
On May 8, the court sided again with James and the coalition.
Joining James in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
LILP also reported that Governor Kathy Hochul says the Trump administration owes the state $13.5 billion from what she says was the economic damage caused by the tariffs. Hochul made this announcement following the Supreme Court decision.
“Once again, the courts have made clear that the president cannot unilaterally rewrite our trade laws to suit his political agenda,” James said. “Limitless tariffs were unlawful the first time, and changing the label did not make them any less illegal the second time. New Yorkers are already paying too much for groceries, housing, energy, and everyday essentials. President Trump’s reckless tariffs have driven prices even higher for families and businesses across our state.”
James said she will “keep fighting to stop this administration from abusing its power and forcing working people to pay the price.”
LILP reached out to the Trump administration. “President Trump has lawfully used the tariff authorities granted to him by Congress to address our balance of payments crisis,” said WHite House spokesperson Kush Desai. “The Trump administration is reviewing legal options and maintains confidence in ultimately prevailing.”