Ansar Allah website - Report - 21 Safar 1448 AH
Twenty-five US states, including two governed by Republicans, have filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump's administration over his imposition of tariffs on 60 countries, arguing that the US President exceeded his authority.
In a brief submitted by the states to the US Court of International Trade in New York, they stated that "there is no logical relationship between the alleged problem of forced labor within international supply chains and the comprehensive global tariffs imposed by the Office of the US Trade Representative."
Among the 25 states participating in the lawsuit, 23 are led by Democratic governors, while the states of Nevada and Vermont are led by Republican governors.
A new package of US tariffs targeting 60 trading partners came into effect on Friday, replacing global tariffs imposed by Trump earlier this year that had expired.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that "the United States has been enforcing a ban on importing goods produced with forced labor for nearly a century, rigorously implementing this ban, and it is time for our trading partners to follow suit."
These tariffs, ranging between 10 and 12.5 percent and affecting major economies such as China, India, and the European Union, sparked protests from Beijing and others.
The Trump administration rushed to rebuild the tariff system after the Supreme Court invalidated a set of tariffs he had imposed in February, in a move that curtailed his ability to impose high, exorbitant tariffs whenever he pleased.
In this context, the New York State Attorney General said that the new tariffs imposed by Trump are nothing more than a replacement for tariffs previously invalidated by the Supreme Court, which had previously ruled that "Trump exceeded his authority by imposing a broad package of tariffs," considering that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not grant him the authority to impose these tariffs.
The White House responded through its spokesman, Kush Desai, asserting that Trump's actions are legal. He added that "the United States is using its legal authorities to eliminate unacceptable practices, policies, and actions that place burdens on US commerce."
He continued: "Tariffs imposed under Section 301 since the President's first term have proven to be a robust legal tool, and they remain so."
Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 allows the United States to investigate foreign practices it considers discriminatory and respond by imposing tariffs.
The US Trade Representative had cited this section to justify imposing these tariffs.
Since returning to the White House for a second presidential term, Trump has disrupted global trade by imposing broad tariffs on his country's partners and competitors alike, under the pretext that the United States' trading partners have long benefited at the expense of the US economy.
