25 US states sue Trump administration over new tariff round

What happened

• The suit was filed Monday, 3 August, at the US Court of International Trade in New York.
• The levies took effect on 24 July, as a temporary 10 percent global tariff expired at midnight.
• The US Trade Representative imposed them under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, citing forced-labour probes.
• Small US businesses had already sued over the same tariffs last month, on the day they took effect.
• The states ask judges to halt the duties, declare them unlawful and order refunds to importers.

The view from outside

Le Monde, citing the complaint seen by AFP, reports the USTR's announcement of the procedure made no mention of forced labour and promised "continuity" with the annulled duties, and that sanctioned countries have no mechanism to end the levies by changing practices. Al Jazeera puts the reach of the July tariffs at more than 99 percent of US imports; Daily Sabah notes two of the 25 plaintiffs, Nevada and Vermont, are Republican-led.

What could happen next

• The court has not ruled; earlier tariff rounds were struck down by the same court and, in February, by the Supreme Court.
• Whether Section 301 supports blanket duties on 60 partners is the untested legal question.
• Refunds for importers who have paid since 24 July depend on the outcome.
• Two pending small-business suits raise the pretext argument before the same court.