TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport has joined a coalition of states seeking to block a new round of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, arguing in court that the measures are unlawful and should be halted.
Davenport and attorneys general from multiple states filed a motion asking the U.S. Court of International Trade to stop federal agencies from collecting the tariffs. The filing requests either summary judgment in the states’ favor or a preliminary injunction while the case proceeds.
The legal challenge centers on tariffs imposed on a wide range of imported products. According to the states’ filing, the administration is relying on Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, a law that has rarely been used to justify tariffs.
“Tariffs are taxes, and President Trump cannot concoct imaginary conditions that would allow him to impose taxes without involving Congress,” Davenport said. “The Administration’s unwillingness to return the billions of dollars taken from businesses and families in his first round of invalidated tariffs makes clear the need for the courts to move quickly to protect them from his latest illogical, illegal scheme.”
According to the lawsuit, President Trump previously attempted to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, but those tariffs were ruled unlawful by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The administration has since cited Section 122 of the Trade Act, imposing 10% tariffs on many products worldwide, citing trade deficits as justification. The states argue that the law allows tariffs only in cases of “large and serious balance-of-payment deficits,” which they say do not currently exist.
Economic analysis included in the court filing estimates that state governments in the 24 participating states could face at least $748 million per year in additional costs due to the tariffs.
The filing also cites research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which found that nearly 90% of tariff costs in recent years were borne by American consumers and businesses.
The case, State of Oregon, et al. v. Trump, et al., is being heard by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade.
Oral arguments on the motion are scheduled for April 10, 2026, in New York City.
Joining New Jersey in the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Oregon, Arizona, California, New York, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, as well as the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania, according to the attorney general’s office.
