US states sue to block Trump tariffs impacting dozens of countries

What the report says

Twenty-five US states have filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration over a new set of tariffs affecting dozens of countries, according to reporting cited by the BBC and republished by Nile Post. The states, led by Democratic officials, argue that the tariffs were imposed unlawfully and describe the move as arbitrary, capricious and contrary to law. The case was filed on Monday in the US and targets duties that were introduced in July.

The tariffs reportedly range from 10% to 12.5% and were justified by the administration as a response to what it says is a failure by trading partners, including the UK, China and the European Union, to do enough to stop imports linked to forced labour. The public article says the levies were imposed under Section 301 of the 1974 US Trade Act and cover a very large share of US imports. In response, White House spokesperson Kush Desai defended the administration’s authority and said countries that do not address forced-labour concerns are acting unreasonably.

The lawsuit argues that the government is using forced-labour claims as a pretext for a broader tariff strategy. It adds to a series of trade disputes since Trump returned to office in January 2025. More broadly, tariff fights have become a recurring feature of US trade policy in recent years, and some earlier levies were challenged in court, though the specific legal outcome of this new case is not yet known.