Washington, Aug 4:
A coalition of 25 Democratic-led US states has filed a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump’s latest tariffs on imports from 60 countries, including India, escalating an ongoing legal battle over the use of US trade laws. The case was filed in the US Court of International Trade in New York.
The lawsuit targets tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which came into effect last month. The Trump administration has justified the move as a measure against countries allegedly failing to curb the export of goods produced using forced labour.
However, the states argue that the administration is exceeding its legal authority and attempting to reintroduce sweeping tariffs that courts have previously struck down.
They contend that Section 301 has traditionally been used for targeted trade actions against specific countries or sectors, not for broad-based tariffs affecting multiple trading partners.