A group of small businesses on Friday filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its latest wave of tariffs on 60 U.S.trade partners, less than one day after they were enacted.Subscribe to read this story ad-freeGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The suit was filed by the Liberty Justice Center, the same organization that challenged Trump’s tariffs enacted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act last year and won a major ruling against the government at the Supreme Court.The center is suing the Trump administration on behalf of two small businesses: New York-based Burlap & Barrel, an online spices retailer, and California-based Collective Horology, a retailer that Liberty Justice says supports independent watchmakers.Filed in the Court of International Trade in New York, the suit seeks to stop the government from enforcing or collecting duties imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.The filing also asks the trade court to refund all duties unlawfully collected under the Section 301 action.The complaint alleges that the U.S.
Trade Representative “acted arbitrarily and capriciously by imposing near-uniform tariffs across 60 materially different economies without a reasoned, record-based explanation for how the tariffs would address the practices USTR identified,” Liberty said in a statement.“The case does not dispute that governments should combat forced labor,” the group added.“It challenges USTR’s authority to impose sweeping tariffs without satisfying Section 301’s country-specific findings and remedial requirements.”Just hours ago, at the stroke of midnight, Trump’s temporary global 10% tariff expired.
In its place, the administration announced new tariffs against 60 economies around the world.Those duties range from 10% to 12.5%, although there are a number of exceptions including for some foods and fuels.
It also excludes automobiles and some metals.The administration imp...