Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced on Mar. 13 that she has joined a coalition of attorneys general in filing a motion to stop President Trump’s latest attempt to impose tariffs on products purchased by American consumers and businesses. The motion, filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade, seeks summary judgment or a preliminary injunction against the tariffs.
The legal action is significant because it challenges the federal government’s authority to levy taxes without congressional approval, which could have broad implications for both state budgets and consumer costs. Economic analysis submitted with the motion indicates that state governments in the 24 plaintiff states could face at least $748 million per year in additional expenses due to these tariffs. A recent study by researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that nearly 90% of last year’s tariff costs were paid by American consumers and businesses.
“Tariffs are taxes, and President Trump cannot concoct imaginary conditions that would allow him to impose taxes without involving Congress,” said Attorney General Davenport. “The Administration’s unwillingness to return the billions of dollars taken from businesses and families in his first round of invalidated tariffs makes clear the need for the courts to move quickly to protect them from his latest illogical, illegal scheme.”
President Trump initially used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act as justification for imposing tariffs on essential goods, but those actions were ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court. The administration is now invoking Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows tariffs only when there are large and serious balance-of-payment deficits—a condition not present under current economic circumstances with today’s floating currency.
The case, State of Oregon, et al., v. Trump, et al., is scheduled for oral argument before a three-judge panel at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 10, in New York City. Attorneys general from more than twenty states as well as governors from Kentucky and Pennsylvania have joined Davenport in this lawsuit.
According to the official website, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin aims to protect residents’ lives and property while upholding legal standards across all counties and municipalities in New Jersey. The office provides statewide enforcement and legal support through services such as law enforcement oversight, crime lab support, victim advocacy, consumer protection initiatives, and public safety regulation according to its statutory mandate.
