A group of five small businesses has filed a lawsuit against U.S. President Donald Trump, seeking to block the tariffs he has imposed on foreign imports.
The lawsuit filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade alleges that Trump has illegally usurped Congress’ power to levy tariffs by claiming that trade deficits constitute an “emergency.” In the legal filing, the privately held businesses state that Trump’s “claimed emergency is a figment of his own imagination: trade deficits, which have persisted for decades without causing economic harm, are not an emergency.”
The Liberty Justice Center, which is representing the small businesses, said Trump’s tariffs of at least 10% on imports from most countries are devastating small businesses across America. The lawsuit also notes that the Trump administration has imposed tariffs on countries with which the U.S. has a trade surplus, “undermining the administration’s justification.”
The Plaintiffs
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include New York-based VOS Selections, which imports and distributes small-production wines; FishUSA in Pennsylvania, a retailer of sportfishing gear; Genova Pipe in Utah, which makes plastic pipe and fittings for plumbing; MicroKits in Virginia that makes musical instruments; and Terry Precision Cycling, a Vermont brand of women’s cycling apparel.
The lawsuit highlights that Terry Cycling in Vermont expects to “face an estimated $1.2 million in tariff costs — an amount that is simply not survivable for a business of its size.” The Trump administration has not commented on the lawsuit. The Russell 2000 index of small-cap stocks is down 16% this year.
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