Attorney General Tong Sues Trump Administration to Stop Illegal Tariffs

Press Releases

04/23/2025

Attorney General Tong Sues Trump Administration to Stop Illegal Tariffs

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of attorneys general suing to block President Trump’s illegal tariffs. The case challenges four of President Trump’s executive orders that claim the power to increase tariffs worldwide without congressional action.

“Trump’s lawless and chaotic tariffs are a massive tax on Connecticut families and a disaster for Connecticut businesses and jobs. He is destroying our strong economy and robbing from working families to enrich his Mar-a-Lago billionaire cronies. The Constitution is clear-- Trump has no authority to wage this brainless trade war, and we are suing in the Court of International Trade to stop this,” said Attorney General Tong.

The lawsuit challenges President Trump’s executive orders calling for higher tariffs on most products worldwide. These tariffs impose a 145 percent tariff on most products from China, a 25 percent tariff on most products from Canada and Mexico, and 10 percent tariffs on most products from the rest of the world. It also challenges President Trump’s plan to raise tariffs on imports from 46 other trading partners on July 9.

Studies of the tariffs President Trump issued in his first term show that 95 percent of the cost of tariffs are paid by Americans. The Federal Reserve and the International Monetary Fund project that this round of tariffs will cause inflation.

According to the non-partisan Yale Budget Lab, the tariffs will increase annual costs for consumers by $4,900 per household. Tariffs disproportionately impact clothing and textiles, according to their analysis. Consumers will pay 87 percent more for shoes and 65 percent more for clothing in the short-term. Their analysis found that the tariffs will shrink the American economy by $180 billion annually, and increase unemployment by 0.6 percent. Food prices will be 2.6 percent higher in the short-term, with fresh produce jumping 5.4 percent. Motor vehicles will rise 12 percent in the short-term, and 15 percent in the longer-term, adding $7,400 to the price of an average new car.

Under Article I of the Constitution, only Congress has the “Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises.” The executive orders cite the powers granted by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), but that law applies only when an emergency presents “unusual and extraordinary threat” from abroad and does not give the President the power to impose tariffs. Congress enacted IEEPA in 1977. No President had imposed tariffs based on IEEPA until President Trump did so this year.

The case is entitled State of Oregon, et al., v. Trump, et al. and was filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade.

The case is led by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes. Also joining the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York and Vermont.

Twitter: @AGWilliamTong

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Media Contact:

Elizabeth Benton
elizabeth.benton@ct.gov

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