A China Shipping container is seen at the port of Oakland, as trade tensions escalate over U.S. tariffs with China, in Oakland, California, U.S., April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
California Sues Trump Administration Over New Tariffs, Citing Abuse of Presidential Powers
April 16, 2025
The State of California filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday challenging President Donald Trump’s imposition of sweeping tariffs on foreign goods, alleging that the administration has overstepped its authority and caused economic harm to the state and the nation.
Tariffs Cited as National Emergency
President Trump recently enacted a 10% tariff on imports from all countries, with higher rates imposed on nations the administration claims maintain significant barriers to U.S. goods. These tariffs were temporarily paused for 90 days in most cases. A separate 145% tariff was imposed specifically on Chinese goods, with certain exceptions made for electronics.
China retaliated with a 125% tariff on American imports, and the European Union has authorized similar countermeasures, although their implementation is currently on hold.
In executive orders justifying the tariffs, President Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977, arguing that the United States’ trade deficit represents a national emergency that threatens domestic manufacturing and national security by fostering dependence on foreign adversaries.
Legal Challenge by California
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco by California Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta, contends that the IEEPA does not authorize the President to unilaterally impose broad tariffs under a self-declared emergency without Congressional approval.
“California has already experienced economic harm and faces continued financial risk if these tariffs remain in effect,” Newsom and Bonta stated. California, as the world’s fifth-largest economy, relies heavily on international trade, particularly with China, Mexico, and Canada.
The suit seeks a court order preventing the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection from enforcing the contested tariffs.
Broader Legal Pushback
The California lawsuit is the latest in a growing wave of legal challenges against the tariffs. Two other lawsuits are currently pending: one filed by the Liberty Justice Center in the New York-based Court of International Trade seeks to block all of the tariffs, and another, filed in a Florida federal court by a small business owner, focuses specifically on the China-related tariffs.
The Trump administration has not yet publicly responded to California’s legal filing.
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