Attorney General Mayes Sues Trump Administration to Stop Latest Round of Illegal Tariffs
Co-Leads Lawsuit Filed to Block Illegal Tariffs that are Increasing Prices on American Consumers and Businesses
PHOENIX – Attorney General Kris Mayes today co-led a coalition of attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to block President Trump’s latest efforts to impose illegal tariffs on American consumers and businesses. The case challenges President Trump’s most recent efforts to increase tariffs worldwide without congressional approval.
"After being rebuked by the Supreme Court for illegally taxing the American people, Donald Trump threw a temper tantrum and announced another round of illegal tariffs that will hurt Arizonans," said Attorney General Mayes. "Make no mistake—these tariffs are just another unlawful attempt to tax Arizona families and businesses without the consent of their elected representatives and they will drive up prices for every Arizonan.”
For more than a year, President Trump has inflicted chaos on the American economy by imposing tariffs without the legal authority to do so. Initially, the President claimed that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) allowed him to impose tariffs of any amount, on any product, from any country, for any length of time. Two weeks ago, the Supreme Court rejected that argument, concluding that the IEEPA tariffs were unlawful.
Rather than accepting that loss in court, President Trump immediately turned to a separate law that has never been used before—Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974—and imposed 15 percent tariffs on most products worldwide, seemingly to address trade deficits. But Section 122 does not apply. That law authorizes tariffs in limited circumstances, including when there are “large and serious balance-of-payments deficits.” Notably, a trade deficit is not a balance-of-payment deficit, meaning that once again the President is acting unlawfully.
A recent analysis by researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York concluded that nearly 90 percent of the costs of tariffs in 2025 were paid by American consumers and businesses. By imposing another round of price increases on American consumers and businesses, President Trump is doubling down on his failed economic policies.
Experts estimated that Trump's IEEPA tariffs cost Arizona $1.6 billion. Nationwide, consumers on average would pay $1,253 more each year under a 10% universal tariff or $2,045 under a 20% levy, according to Tax Foundation estimates.
Today’s lawsuit challenges this latest round of tariffs. The complaint contends that these actions by President Trump and his administration violate the law, upend constitutional separation of powers, and violate the Administrative Procedure Act.
The case is entitled State of Oregon, et al., v. Trump, et al. and is being filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade.
Joining Attorney General Mayes in leading this lawsuit are Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, 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.
A copy of the filing is available below.
