Apr 5, 2025
Ibiam Wayas
US President Donald Trump was sued on Thursday in a federal court in Pensacola over the recent executive actions that introduced a steep 54% combined tariff on goods from China.
The suit was forwarded by the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) on behalf of Simplified, a Florida-based small business that sells organizational planners and sources its products from China.
The group argues that Trump unlawfully invoked emergency powers to levy tariffs that have already disrupted markets and raised costs for importers.
China and the European Union (EU) together made up roughly a quarter of all American imports in 2024, ranking among the top three sources of foreign goods, alongside Mexico.
In the court filing, NCLA mentioned the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA), which the Trump administration cited as justification for the tariff orders.
“Congress passed the IEEPA to counter external emergencies, not to grant presidents a blank check to write domestic economic policy,” the lawsuit states.
The plaintiffs have asked the court to issue an injunction blocking the implementation of the China tariffs and to rule the executive orders unlawful.
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