Trump in the storm: 12 US states sue him over unilateral tariffs

New York leads legal action against US president: “Arbitrary and unconstitutional choices”. Concerns also from retail bigwigs and China

Twelve US states, led by New York, have filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump, accusing him of imposing unilateral duties that are jeopardising the stability of the US economy. The suit, filed in the New York International Trade Court, challenges Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to justify the new tariffs, without passing through Congress.

According to the text, the current trade policy “depends on the whims of the president rather than on a lawful exercise of authority”. The complaint is supported by Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico and Vermont, and adds to a similar complaint filed in recent days by California.

The legal action comes at a time of growing tension with the US retail giants, which – according to Axios reports – have expressed alarm in confidential talks with the president: the 145% duties imposed on China are already causing disruptions in supplies and risk driving up prices and emptying shelves.

Trump, for his part, plays down: on Truth Social he claims the drop in the price of petrol and the “abundance of eggs” with a cost reduced by 87%, turning a global problem into a domestic election message.

On the Chinese side, Ministry of Commerce spokesman He Yadong called the abuse of duties “a violation of the basic principles of market economy” and called on the US to “cancel all unilateral measures and open a fair dialogue”. In the same vein, the Foreign Ministry called on Washington to “stop pressure and coercion” if it really wants to resolve the differences.

Meanwhile, the European Union is watching closely. Speaking at the London summit on energy security, Ursula von der Leyen reiterated the strategic importance of liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from the US, emphasising Washington’s central role in the energy crisis following the cut-off of Russian supplies. Trump has repeatedly called for the EU to increase its purchases of US fossil fuels, linking the issue to negotiations on reciprocal tariffs.

While Europe is looking for new energy guarantees, the domestic front in the US is growing, accusing Trump of subverting the constitutional order for political ends, jeopardising both domestic economic stability and global trade balances.

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