Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued the following statement after the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled President Trump’s attempt to implement sweeping tariffs “exceeded any authority” granted by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Raoul and 12 attorneys general filed a lawsuit in April to halt implementation of the illegal tariffs.
“Once again, a court has evaluated the Trump administration’s attempt to govern by edict. And once again, a court has ruled the president exceeded his authority under the law.
“Since the International Emergency Economic Powers Act was enacted in 1977, no president has attempted to use it to implement sweeping, arbitrary tariffs. In this matter, the court rightly determined the administration’s use of tariffs to ‘pressure’ the targeted countries falls short of the law’s criteria for a looming national emergency. Illinois and states around the nation rely on international trade to fuel our economies, and our residents and our producers cannot afford the Trump administration’s cavalier misunderstanding of tariffs and their implications. I appreciate the court finding the Trump tariffs to be unlawful – and stopping their implementation.
“I will continue to stand with my colleagues around the nation to fight this administration’s repeated attempts to usurp the Constitution and laws of the United States. We are not a nation governed by royal decree. The rule of law does matter, and I will not stop defending it.”
In their complaint, Raoul and the attorneys general argued that only Congress has the authority to lay and collect taxes and duties on imported goods. The executive orders cite the IEEPA, but the attorneys general explain that the law does not give the president authority to impose these tariffs. It only applies when an emergency presents “unusual and extraordinary threat” from abroad – not an ongoing problem. The court agreed, calling the orders a “clear misconstruction” of the IEEPA.
Joining Attorney General Raoul in filing the lawsuit are attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Vermont.
