Trump sued over new tariffs, experts say courts may scrap them
People watch as the Doris Ocean container ship departs from the Port of Los Angeles, in Los Angeles, May 28, 2026. Mario Tama | Getty Images President Donald Trump’s global “liberation day” tariffs were struck down in the courts, shattering the cornerstone of his trade agenda. Some trade experts say his newest duties could meet the same fate — and they’ve already caught their first legal challenge. The Trump administration on Friday imposed broad tariffs on goods from more than 80 countries, alleging they have failed to effectively prohibit the use of forced labor practices. The latest tariffs — applying to trade partners that cover 99.4% of U.S. trade — were brought under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which enables the government to impose import levies in response to unfair trade practices. Section 301 has been used many times across presidential administrations to threaten or impose tariffs — including against China during Trump’s first administration. But Trump is “using the statute in a fundamentally different way,” Peter Harrell, visiting scholar at Georgetown …
