A legal advocacy group has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, urging the U.S. Court of International Trade to halt sweeping tariffs placed on foreign imports. The suit argues that former President Donald Trump exceeded his legal powers when implementing the duties.
The lawsuit was brought forward on Monday by the Liberty Justice Center, a nonpartisan organization, representing five small American businesses that rely on imported goods. The plaintiffs include a New York-based wine and spirits importer and a Virginia company that produces educational kits and musical instruments.
The legal complaint focuses on tariffs Trump announced on April 2—dubbed “Liberation Day” tariffs—as well as separate levies targeting China. The Liberty Justice Center claims these actions violate the U.S. Constitution by bypassing Congress, which holds the power to impose taxes and tariffs.
“No single person should have the authority to impose taxes that impact the global economy on such a massive scale,” said Jeffrey Schwab, senior counsel at the Liberty Justice Center. “The Constitution gives that responsibility to Congress—not the President.”
In response, White House spokesperson Harrison Fields defended the tariffs, arguing that Trump’s policies were aimed at protecting American industries and workers.
“President Trump is standing up for Main Street,” Fields stated. “His trade strategy ends the unfair advantage foreign nations—especially China—have had over American businesses.”
A similar lawsuit is pending in federal court in Florida, where another small business owner is seeking to stop tariffs specifically targeting Chinese imports.
Trump’s tariff strategy included a blanket 10% duty on goods from all countries, with higher rates on those the administration said restricted U.S. exports. While some tariffs were temporarily paused for 90 days, they remain part of the administration’s broader effort to address what it called a “national emergency” caused by persistent trade deficits.
The executive order that launched the tariffs cited the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)—a law allowing the president to act in response to unusual or extraordinary foreign threats. However, the Liberty Justice Center claims that the law does not permit the use of tariffs in this context.
“No president before has used the IEEPA to impose tariffs, nor claimed to have the authority to do so,” the lawsuit states.
The legal action seeks to block enforcement of the tariffs and to establish that the president did not have the proper authority to implement them.
The U.S. Court of International Trade, based in New York, has jurisdiction over most matters involving international trade. It will now consider whether Trump’s actions violated constitutional limits on presidential power.
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