New York Attorney General Letitia James and Governor Kathy Hochul announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration, joining a coalition of 24 other states to challenge a new round of sweeping import tariffs.
Filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade, the legal action aims to strike down tariffs imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act. The trade measures affect 59 countries and the European Union.
The challenge follows prior court decisions that invalidated previous tariffs enacted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Section 122 of the Trade Act.
While the administration stated that the new measures target forced labor practices in global supply chains, the suit argues that forced labor concerns are a pretext to reinstate broad tariffs that federal courts previously rejected.
“After losing at the Supreme Court, the administration is once again trying to illegally raise taxes on families and businesses with a new round of tariffs,” Attorney General James said in a statement. “No matter how the administration tries to justify it, the law and our Constitution are clear that the president does not have the power to impose sweeping tariffs on whatever countries he wants. I will continue to stand up to this administration’s illegal policies that threaten to raise costs for New Yorkers.”
Governor Hochul also criticized the policy, pointing to potential price increases for everyday items.
“President Trump’s illegal tariffs are nothing more than a tax on hardworking families, driving up the cost of groceries, household essentials, building materials, and countless everyday goods that New Yorkers rely on,” Governor Hochul said. “The Supreme Court has made it clear that this administration cannot ignore the law to impose sweeping tariffs. I will not stand by as New Yorkers continue to suffer the consequences of the President’s trade war, and I’m proud to join Attorney General James in fighting back against the Trump administration to protect families and businesses across our state.”
According to the complaint, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced Section 301 investigations into 60 trading partners in March 2026. The administration then enacted the new duties on July 23—the same day the previous Section 122 tariffs expired.
The plaintiffs contend that completing investigations into 60 trading partners in under three months strays from standard federal practice. Typical Section 301 investigations into single nations take anywhere from eight months to a year, such as prior federal inquiries into trade policies in China and Brazil.
The lawsuit alleges that the administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to conduct a thorough investigation, ignoring public comments, and setting arbitrary tariff rates. The suit notes that while the USTR report identified only three specific products tied to forced labor, one of those items—frozen beef from Brazil—was granted an exemption from the final tariffs.
Furthermore, the filing states that the tariffs treat raw materials and finished goods identically, applying uniform rates across nations regardless of whether a country already has strict mechanisms to prevent forced labor.
Joining New York in the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, along with the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
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