Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield is spearheading a charge along with a coalition of attorneys general to temporarily halt President Trump's imposition of tariffs, which they claim to stand in stark violation of constitutional protocols. The group has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to immediately stop the collection of what they deem as illegal tariffs, as outlined in an announcement from Rayfield's Office. The motion is lodged against tariffs instated via executive commands bypassing Congressional say, and could potentially spare consumers and businesses from heavy financial burdens.
These controversial tariffs introduced by the Trump administration are a hefty 145 percent on most products hailing from China, 25 percent on goods from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10 percent on products from various other global regions. The attorneys general are aiming to not only halt the current tariffs but also to prevent a proposed hike on imports from 56 other trading partners set to take effect on July 9. An analysis, as cited by the Oregon Department of Justice, has indicated that the average household might be forced to pay an extra $3,800 annually because of these tariffs.
"These tariffs are doing real damage to Oregonians and our small businesses. Families cannot be expected to pay more at the store at a time when they’re already struggling to afford the basics," Rayfield shared. The legal action, which includes a coalition of 12 states, underscores potential additional costs to state and local governments that could surpass $3.4 billion per year, drawn from economic analysis mentioned in court documents. The Federal Reserve has underscored this concern, noting, as stated by the Oregon Department of Justice, that businesses "expected elevated input cost growth resulting from tariffs" and that a prevailing number of them "expected to pass through additional costs to customers." The tariffs, exploiting the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), bypass the fact that it is Congress, under Article I of the Constitution, which has the express "Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises," not the president.
Litigation, under the title State of Oregon, et al., v. Trump, et al. (Case No. 1:25-cv-00077-GSK-TMR-JAR), is currently pending before a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of International Trade. The case, actively piloted by Oregon's Rayfield and attorney general Kris Mayes from Arizona, also includes attorneys general from a dozen other states, namely Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, and Vermont.
