On April 23, 2025, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes led a coalition of 12 attorneys general in suing the Trump administration in the U.S. Court of International Trade for its illegal and unconstitutional imposition of tariffs on virtually all goods imported into the United States. One economic analysis suggested that the average household will pay an additional $3,800 annually due to Trump’s tariffs.   

The attorneys general argued that the Constitution grants the power to impose tariffs to Congress, not to the executive branch. The filing further argued that statutory justification President Trump had cited to support his actions, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, does not apply under current circumstances and also does not authorize the president to impose tariffs.   

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade agreed with the arguments advanced by the attorneys general and on May 28, 2025, granted summary judgment to the plaintiff states with orders to issue a permanent injunction to block the tariffs. On August 29, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the district court’s ruling, saying that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the president to impose 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. The President can’t just slap on tariffs that hurt working people without following the law. I don’t know many families who can afford an extra $3800 a year. Attorney General Dan Rayfield