Nevada AG Joins Effort to Block Trump Tariffs

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford announced Friday that he has joined a coalition of state attorneys general seeking to block a new round of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

According to a release from Ford’s office, the group filed a motion asking a federal court to halt what they describe as the “implementation of President Donald Trump’s latest efforts to impose illegal tariffs on products purchased by American consumers and businesses.”

The dispute centers on the administration’s use of federal law to impose tariffs on imported goods. Earlier tariff actions were justified by invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a statute that allows the president to regulate imports in response to national emergencies that pose an “unusual and extraordinary” threat.

In February, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that many of those tariffs were unlawful when based on the emergency powers law.

Following that decision, the administration turned to a different legal authority, Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, to continue imposing tariffs. According to Ford’s office, the administration has used that statute to implement tariffs of 10 percent on most products imported worldwide.

The coalition argues that the move is also unlawful. The motion filed in court contends that Section 122 permits tariffs only when the United States faces “large and serious balance-of-payment deficits,” a condition the states argue does not currently exist.

The states are asking the U.S. Court of International Trade to order federal agencies to stop collecting the latest round of tariffs.

According to economic analysis submitted as part of the filing, state governments in the 24 plaintiff states could face at least $748 million in additional annual costs because of the tariffs. The release also cited research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York estimating that nearly 90 percent of tariff costs last year were ultimately paid by American consumers and businesses.

Arguments are scheduled to be heard on April 10 before a three-judge panel of the Court of International Trade.