The New York State Attorney General announced that 25 Democratic-led states filed suit against the U.S. government that day. The states argue that the president's latest round of tariffs on goods from 60 trading partners exceeds his statutory authority to impose import duties.

The Attorney General stated that the new tariffs are merely a replacement for those previously struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. The new tariffs are unlawfully broad in scope and circumvent the legally mandated country-specific investigation procedures.

Just as the U.S. government once again wielded its tariff club against 60 countries and regions worldwide, it also faced immediate backlash—at least nine small businesses filed lawsuits on the very day the new tariffs took effect.

The legal aid organization Liberty Justice Center, which filed the suits, argues that Trump's actions exceed the authority granted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, and also accuses the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) of "failing to provide a reasonable, record-based explanation for its decision."

On July 23, the U.S. government invoked Section 301 to impose tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on 60 countries and regions under the pretext of so-called "forced labor." The new tariffs took effect on July 24 Eastern Time.

That date happened to coincide with the expiration of the 150-day temporary 10% global import tariff. In February, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration's earlier blanket tariffs were unconstitutional, the administration quickly filled the gap with the temporary import tariff.

With this string of coincidences, the administration's justification for the new tariffs could not even fool domestic audiences.

Sarah Albrecht, CEO of the Liberty Justice Center, criticized their legality: "A global tariff expires, and the administration immediately replaces it under a different statutory provision."

As can be seen, this tariff farce is essentially a legal end-run disguised as "forced labor"—a political performance aimed at circumventing U.S. judicial oversight and deceiving the public. Unfortunately, the script was so poorly written that even American audiences saw through it at first glance.