On April 14, 2025, the Liberty Justice Center, a nonpartisan legal advocacy group, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade, seeking to block President Donald Trump’s controversial tariffs on foreign trading partners. The lawsuit argues that the president overstepped his constitutional authority by unilaterally imposing the tariffs, and it is backed by five small U.S. businesses that import goods from countries targeted by the tariffs. These businesses, which range from a New York wine and spirits importer to a Virginia-based maker of educational kits and musical instruments, argue that the tariffs harm their operations and raise the cost of imported goods.
The lawsuit challenges two significant sets of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration: the “Liberation Day” tariffs enacted on April 2, 2025, and the duties levied against China earlier in the president’s term. The plaintiffs contend that the U.S. Constitution grants the power to set tax rates, including tariffs, to Congress, not the president. According to Jeffrey Schwab, senior counsel at the Liberty Justice Center, the president’s ability to impose such tariffs without Congressional approval creates a dangerous precedent and undermines the balance of power in the U.S. government. Schwab argued that no single person should hold the authority to impose taxes with far-reaching global economic consequences.
White House spokesman Harrison Fields defended the president’s tariffs, emphasizing that Trump is fighting for U.S. workers and businesses. Fields suggested that Trump’s efforts were aimed at ending the exploitation of U.S. trade partners, particularly China, which he claims has taken advantage of the U.S. in trade agreements. He characterized the tariffs as part of Trump’s broader strategy to level the playing field for American businesses and workers by addressing the nation’s persistent trade deficits, which Trump considers a national emergency.
This new legal challenge comes amidst another ongoing lawsuit in Florida federal court, where a small business owner is also attempting to block the tariffs imposed on China. Trump’s tariffs were initially set at 10% on goods from all foreign countries, with higher duties for countries deemed to have high barriers to U.S. imports. However, many of these tariffs were later paused for 90 days. The legal basis for Trump’s actions was rooted in the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a law that grants presidents extraordinary powers to respond to national emergencies, including threats to the U.S. economy.
In the current lawsuit, the Liberty Justice Center contends that the IEEPA does not grant the president the authority to impose tariffs. The lawsuit emphasizes that there is no historical precedent for using the IEEPA to implement tariffs, and that no other president has claimed such power. The plaintiffs argue that this overreach by the executive branch violates the separation of powers and undermines the constitutional role of Congress in setting fiscal policy.
The lawsuit seeks to prevent the enforcement of the tariffs and asks the court to declare that Trump lacked the authority to impose them in the first place. The case will be heard by the U.S. Court of International Trade, which has broad jurisdiction over matters related to U.S. trade law. This legal battle represents a significant challenge to the Trump administration’s approach to trade policy, particularly as it relates to the authority of the president to unilaterally impose tariffs on foreign goods. The outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications for future trade negotiations and the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. government.
