Arizona joins 24 states in lawsuit against federal import tariffs

PHOENIX - Arizona is one of 25 states taking the White House back to court over trade policies. Attorneys general from these states filed a major federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s latest round of tariffs.

Local perspective:

"We are asking the court of international trade to block these tariffs, to declare them unlawful and prevent the administration from continuing this pattern of overreach," Attorney General Kris Mayes said.

A major legal battle over the U.S. economy is brewing once again as Arizona’s top prosecutor joins a multi-state lawsuit pushing back against federal trade policy.

"We all know that a tariff is just a tax," Mayes said. "A tax on Arizonan’s grocery bills. A tax on the everyday operations of small businesses across our state. A tax that the president has unlawfully slapped on Americans."

Big picture view:

The lawsuit targets new tariffs imposed on 59 countries and the European Union, covering nearly 100% of all U.S. imports. 

What Mayes Is Saying:

Mayes argues the administration bypassed Congress and violated federal law.

"Donald Trump has spent more than a year trying to impose global tariffs entirely on his own," Mayes said. "And every time he has been challenged in court he’s lost."

The backstory:

The president's latest move comes after the Supreme Court struck down his previous round of tariffs earlier this year. In a statement, the White House defended this new action, saying in part: "The United States is using its lawful authority to obtain the elimination of unreasonable acts, policies, and practices that burden U.S. commerce."

This marks the third legal challenge against the administration’s trade strategy after federal courts struck down previous attempts under different statutes.

Why you should care:

"What President Trump's new tariffs will do and what they have already done is raise prices," Mayes said. "Higher grocery bills, more expensive equipment purchased by states and small businesses. Disruption across supply chains that Americans rely on every single day. When costs rise because of illegal tariffs, families and businesses pay the price and our states feel those impacts directly."

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