Attorney General Jay Jones Sues Trump Administration to Stop Latest Illegal Tariffs

Attorney General Jay Jones Sues Trump Administration to Stop Latest Illegal Tariffs

Joins Multistate Lawsuit to Block Unlawful Tariffs Driving Up Costs for Virginia Consumers and Businesses

Richmond, VA – Attorney General Jay Jones today joined a coalition of attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to stop President Trump’s latest attempt to impose sweeping tariffs on consumers and businesses without congressional approval.

“For more than a year, President Trump has tried to claim powers he is not entitled to under the law,” said Attorney General Jay Jones. “The Supreme Court already rejected this scheme once. Instead of respecting that decision, the Administration is taking further illegal actions that fly in the face of the Court’s ruling. These illegal tariffs are nothing more than a tax on Virginia families and when a President tries to impose them without legal authority, it is our responsibility to step in and defend the rule of law.”

Earlier this year, the Trump Administration argued that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act allowed the President to impose tariffs of any amount, on any product, from any country. The Supreme Court rejected that claim, ruling those tariffs unlawful.

Rather than accept that loss, the Administration quickly turned to a different statute — Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 — and imposed tariffs of up to 15 percent on most products worldwide. That provision has never been used to justify sweeping global tariffs and applies only in narrow circumstances involving serious balance-of-payments deficits, not ordinary trade deficits.

The lawsuit filed today argues the Administration’s latest action once again violates federal law, disregards the constitutional role of Congress in setting trade policy, and sidesteps the procedures required under federal law.

Economists have already found that the vast majority of tariff costs fall on American consumers and businesses. A recent analysis by researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York concluded that nearly 90 percent of the costs of tariffs imposed in 2025 were paid by Americans, not foreign governments.

This year, tariffs are projected to impact Virginia’s economy by increasing household costs by $400-$3,000 annually, raising unemployment by 0.3 percentage points, and destabilizing our manufacturing industry.

The case, State of Oregon, et al. v. Trump, et al., was filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade. The case is led by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Also joining the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the Governor of Pennsylvania.

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