MARYLAND - Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown says a federal court has invalidated President Donald Trump’s latest effort to impose tariffs on products purchased by American consumers and businesses, according to a press release from Brown’s office.
According to the release, the U.S. Court of International Trade granted summary judgment in a case brought by a coalition of 24 states and ruled the tariffs are not authorized by law.
Brown’s office said the court order does not directly provide relief to Maryland or its residents, but opens the door to future challenges to the tariffs.
“Time and again, courts are making clear that the Trump Administration cannot impose unlawful and costly tariffs on Marylanders,” Brown said in the release. “This ruling is another important step toward ensuring that American families are not left paying more for groceries, household goods, and everyday essentials because of the Trump Administration’s lawless trade policies.”
According to the release, Trump initially invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs. Brown’s office said the Supreme Court ruled those tariffs were unlawful.
The release says Trump then attempted to use Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose 10% tariffs on most products worldwide, citing trade deficits.
According to Brown’s office, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled those tariffs were also unlawful. The release says Section 122 allows tariffs only when there are “large and serious balance-of-payment deficits,” and that a trade deficit is not a balance-of-payment deficit.
Brown’s office said the court ruled the president’s tariff proclamation “is invalid.”
According to the release, Brown was joined in the lawsuit by attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, along with the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
