Attorney General Tong Wins Lawsuit Against Trump Administration's Illegal Tariffs

05/08/2026

Court of International Trade Invalidates Tariffs that are Increasing Prices and Inflicting Chaos on the American Economy Following Lawsuit Filed by 24 States

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong yesterday secured an order invalidating President Trump’s latest efforts to impose illegal tariffs on products purchased by American consumers and businesses. A federal court granted summary judgment in the lawsuit filed March 5 by 24 states, including Connecticut.

“We just beat Donald Trump for the second time in the Court of International Trade to stop his illegal tariffs from inflicting needless chaos and costs on American families. We sued to block his first round of lawless tariffs and won 6-3 in the U.S. Supreme Court. But Trump wouldn’t take no for an answer. He came back again, with another irrational money grab. We sued, and we just won again. We’re going to keep fighting and winning for as long as it takes to stop these lawless economic wars,” said Attorney General Tong.

For more than a year, President Trump has unlawfully attempted to impose tariffs on essential goods purchased by American consumers and businesses. Initially, the President invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act—but the Supreme Court ruled those tariffs were unlawful. The President then attempted to use a different law that has never been used before—Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974—and imposed 10 percent tariffs on most products worldwide, supposedly in response to trade deficits.

Yesterday, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that those tariffs are illegal, too. Section 122 allows tariffs only when there are “large and serious balance-of-payment deficits.” But no such thing exists—a trade deficit is not a balance-of-payment deficit. As the court ruled, the President’s tariffs proclamation “is invalid, and the tariffs imposed on Plaintiffs are unauthorized by law.”

The case is led by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Also joining the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the Governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

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