Federal judges side with Arizona to strike down ‘Liberation Day' tariffs Trump imposed

Yahoo

2 days ago

A ruling by judges at the U.S. Court of International Trade on May 28, 2025, stops President Donald Trump's tariffs on China, Mexico, Canada and nearly all imports into the U.S. Photo via Getty Images
New tariffs imposed on nearly all imports into the U.S. since April were struck down Wednesday by three federal judges in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York City.
The judges ruled in favor of Arizona and 11 other states in their suit, as well as several businesses who filed a tandem suit, and against Trump, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its leader, Kristi Noem, and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and its leader, Peter Flores over the tariffs.
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The attorneys general argued in State of Oregon et al v. Donald J. Trump et al, filed April 23, that Trump was misusing a 1977 law and falsely claiming an 'unusual and extraordinary threat' to the United States to justify the costly tariffs on nearly all imported goods.
Trump's tariffs 'upend constitutional order' and harm state economies, Dem AGs allege
The judges said that law, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, 'does not authorize worldwide and retaliatory tariffs,' and that, 'because of the Constitution's express allocation of the tariff power to Congress, we do not read IEEPA to delegate an unbounded tariff authority to the President.'
Lawyers for Trump and the federal agencies insinuated at a May 21 hearing they would appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court if things did not go their way at the international trade court.
Trump lawyers argued the Emergency Economic Powers Act, which gives the president broad latitude on financial regulation and foreign policy in the event of a national emergency, would address the threat of fentanyl getting into the country and the U.S.'s trade deficit. The attorneys general argued Congress, not the president, has the sole authority to set tariff policy and that the tariffs Trump imposed had no relationship to the threats he said he wanted to confront.
Arizona and the other attorneys general — from Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Vermont — specifically challenged four of Trump's executive orders since April that have added fluctuating tariffs on most imports from China, Mexico and Canada and a 10% retaliatory tariff on most all other goods imported from other countries to the U.S. The order from the international trade court Wednesday stops these new tariffs and more that Trump planned to impose by July 9.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a news release Wednesday that the ruling is a victory for Arizona and its economic well-being.
'I spearheaded this lawsuit because President Trump's tariffs – a tax on Arizona families and businesses – were poised to devastate our state's economy,' she said. 'I will continue to fight for affordability for Arizonans and against President Trump's illegal abuses of power.'
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