A dozen states sue the US government over "crazy" tariff policy

WELT A dozen states sue the US government over "crazy" tariff policy 34 minutes • 2 minutes read Following the governor of California, a dozen more states are suing the US tariff policy, including New York, Arizona, and Nevada. According to the plaintiffs, the plans are illegal and harm the American economy. Trump, meanwhile, has set a deadline for tariff negotiations. A dozen states filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Wednesday in the US Federal Trade Court in New York, seeking to halt the current tariff policy. The states base their lawsuit on the fact that the US government's tariff policy is illegal and has wreaked havoc on the American economy. The lawsuit states that the policy implemented by President Donald Trump was subject to his "whims rather than the reasonable exercise of lawful authority." The plaintiffs also challenge Trump's claim that he can arbitrarily impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPPA). The plaintiffs are the states of Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, and Vermont. In a press release, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes calls Trump's tariff plan "insane." It is "not just economically reckless—it is illegal." The lawsuit claims that only the U.S. Congress has the authority to impose tariffs and that the president can only invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act if an emergency poses an "unusual and extraordinary threat" from abroad. "By claiming the authority to impose enormous and constantly changing tariffs on all goods entering the United States for any reason he sees fit to declare an emergency, the president has upended the constitutional order and wreaked havoc on the American economy," the lawsuit states. US and China in Daily Contact According to Trump Last week, California's Democratic Governor, Gavin Newsom, sued the Trump administration in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California over tariff policy. He said his state, as the nation's largest importer, could lose billions in revenue. White House spokesman Kush Desai responded to Newsom's lawsuit by saying the Trump administration "remains committed to fighting this national emergency that is decimating America's industries and failing our workers with every tool at our disposal, from tariffs to negotiations." Meanwhile, Trump announced that he would impose tariffs in the next two to three weeks if he saw no progress in the talks. "If we don't have an agreement with a company or a country, we'll impose the tariff. We'll simply impose the tariff," Trump said while signing several executive orders on the education system in Washington. This will happen in the coming weeks, Trump explained. This could also apply to China, the president said. Perhaps there is a special agreement for China, though. According to Trump, the US and China are in daily contact. When asked by a journalist whether there was any direct contact with China in the trade conflict, Trump replied: "Yes, of course. And every day, every day.