In the United States, customs duties imposed by Donald Trump’s administration have once again been challenged in court. 24 states have sued the federal government, alleging that President Donald Trump exceeded his authority by imposing new global tariffs despite a Supreme Court ruling in February.
In a complaint filed Thursday, a total of 24 states argued that the 10% tariffs imposed by the Trump administration under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 were illegal. President Trump then announced his intention to raise these tariffs to 15%.
States argued that this practice violated the principle of separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution. The lawsuit said the president could not exercise the power to impose tariffs without express authorization from Congress.
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that emergency tariffs imposed by Trump last year could not be enforced under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977. The court said the president did not have the authority to impose tariffs under that law.
The states stated the following in their lawsuit:
“As he has done before by illegally using IEEPA, the President is once again undermining constitutional order and causing chaos in the global economy by exercising tariff-setting power to which he is not entitled.”
The Trump administration says the tariffs on imports are implemented to ensure fairness in global trade, increase investment in the United States and increase government revenue. According to official data, the United States collected a total of $287 billion in 2025 from tariffs, taxes and other import revenues. This represents an increase of 192% compared to the previous year.
In their lawsuit, the states ask the U.S. Court of International Trade to declare taxes imposed under Section 122 illegal. They also seek reimbursement for costs incurred while the tariffs were in effect.
*This does not constitute investment advice.
