CT Sues Trump Administration Over Tariffs For Third Time

by Staff Report

HARTFORD, CT — Connecticut has joined a third lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s efforts to impose tariffs on American consumers and businesses, according to Attorney General William Tong. The case, filed by a coalition of 25 states, challenges the administration’s recent decision to increase tariffs on more than 80 countries that together account for 99.4% of all U.S. imports.

Tong said the costs associated with the tariffs would increase the price of essential consumer goods.

“Two losses in court should have been enough to get the message across,” Tong said. But Trump still can’t seem to grasp that he is not above the law. He’s back with another unlawful, baseless attempt to impose tariffs and raise costs for families who are already feeling the strain of higher costs. We’ve won twice, we’ll win again, and we’ll continue to protect Connecticut families.”

The latest lawsuit is challenging Trump’s most recent attempt to impose tariffs, despite lacking the legal authority to do so, Tong said.

First, Trump claimed that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) allowed him to impose tariffs of any amount, on any product, from any country, for any length of time, Tong said. In February, the Supreme Court rejected that claim, agreeing with several state attorneys general that the IEEPA tariffs were unlawful.

Trump then turned to a separate law that had never been used before — Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974—  and announced 10% tariffs on most products worldwide. But state attorneys general challenged those tariffs, too, and in May the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that the president acted unlawfully.

Trump has now turned to another law — Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 — and directed the United States Trade Representative to investigate the European Union and 59 other countries, to determine whether those countries are doing enough to combat forced labor in global trade, Tong said.

Late last month, instead of taking actions that would combat forced labor, the USTR imposed across-the-board tariffs similar to those that courts have struck down twice before.

The latest lawsuit contends that these actions exceed the administration’s legal authority and violate the Administrative Procedure Act. The case was filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade and is titledState of Oregon, et al., v. Trump, et al. 

A recent analysis by researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York concluded that nearly 90% of the costs of tariffs in 2025 were paid by American consumers and businesses.  By imposing another round of price increases on American consumers and businesses, the Trump Administration is tripling down on failed economic policies. 

Joining Connecticut in the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.