Legal Showdown: Challenging Trump's Tariffs

A legal advocacy group, Liberty Justice Center, has filed a lawsuit asking the U.S. Court of International Trade to halt President Trump's tariffs on foreign partners. The suit claims the tariffs overreach presidential powers and should be Congress's responsibility. The case involves several small U.S. businesses.

A legal advocacy group has taken action against President Donald Trump's tariffs aimed at foreign trading partners. The Liberty Justice Center, a nonpartisan organization, filed a lawsuit on behalf of five small U.S. businesses. These businesses include a wine and spirits importer and a manufacturer of educational kits and musical instruments.

The lawsuit contests tariffs announced on April 2, known as 'Liberation Day' tariffs, alongside additional duties on China. Jeffrey Schwab, a senior counsel at Liberty Justice Center, argues that the power to impose taxes should reside with Congress, not the president, as dictated by the Constitution. White House representatives have not responded to requests for comment.

Trump's tariffs entail a 10% levy on goods from all countries, increased for nations with high barriers to U.S. imports. The legal action asserts that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not grant the president authority to impose such tariffs. No historical precedent exists for using IEEPA in this context. The lawsuit calls for the court to block the tariffs and rule against the president's authority to enact them.

(With inputs from agencies.)