Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 12 attorneys general, today filed a lawsuit to block the Trump administration’s illegal tariffs. The case challenges several executive orders that claim the power to increase tariffs without congressional action.
The lawsuit filed by Raoul and the coalition challenges the Trump administration’s executive orders calling for higher tariffs on most products worldwide. These tariffs impose a 145% tariff on most products from China, a 25% tariff on most types of products from Canada and Mexico, and 10% tariffs on most products from the rest of the world. Raoul’s lawsuit also challenges the administration’s plan to raise tariffs on imports from 56 other trading partners on July 9.
“International trade is essential to states’ economies, and the administration’s tariffs will make it more difficult for our residents to purchase the basic goods they need at affordable prices,” Raoul said. “I am proud to join my colleagues in fighting to prevent hardworking Americans from footing the bill for the Trump administration’s unlawful tariffs.”
Raoul and the attorneys general explain in their lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade, that only Congress can lay and collect taxes. The administration’s executive orders cite the powers granted by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA); however, that law applies only when an emergency presents an “unusual and extraordinary threat” from abroad. In short, Raoul and the coalition argue the law does not give the president the power to impose these tariffs. This is the first time in American history that a president has imposed tariffs based on the IEEPA.
In Illinois, the tariffs will cause some state government agencies to agree to pay more for goods to cover the costs of tariffs. For example, the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology (DOIT) purchases about 15,000 imported personal computers for state employees each year. Because of the tariffs, DOIT was constrained to accept a contract that explicitly permits the vendor to pass on the cost of any tariff to the state of Illinois. Additionally, the uncertainty stemming from the flurry of executive orders makes vendors reluctant to commit to working with the state, impeding long-term procurement planning.
Joining Attorney General Raoul in filing this lawsuit are attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Vermont.
