Attorney General Jay Jones has joined a group of state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s new tariffs, which were implemented without congressional approval. The coalition argues that these tariffs will increase costs for consumers and businesses in Virginia and across the United States.
“For more than a year, President Trump has tried to claim powers he is not entitled to under the law,” said Attorney General Jay Jones. “The Supreme Court already rejected this scheme once. Instead of respecting that decision, the Administration is taking further illegal actions that fly in the face of the Court’s ruling. These illegal tariffs are nothing more than a tax on Virginia families and when a President tries to impose them without legal authority, it is our responsibility to step in and defend the rule of law.”
Earlier this year, the administration cited the International Emergency Economic Powers Act as justification for imposing tariffs on any product from any country. The Supreme Court found this move unlawful. Following this decision, officials used Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to place tariffs up to 15 percent on most global products. According to legal experts, this statute is limited to situations involving serious balance-of-payments deficits and does not cover regular trade deficits.
The lawsuit claims that these actions violate federal law by ignoring Congress’s constitutional role in trade policy and bypassing required procedures.
Economic research suggests that American consumers and businesses bear most tariff costs. A study from researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that nearly 90 percent of tariffs imposed in 2025 were paid by Americans rather than foreign governments.
Estimates indicate that Virginians could see household costs rise between $400 and $3,000 annually due to these tariffs. Projections also suggest an increase in unemployment by 0.3 percentage points and negative effects on manufacturing within Virginia.
The case, State of Oregon, et al. v. Trump, et al., was filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade with leadership from Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield alongside attorneys general from Arizona, California, New York, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin; Pennsylvania’s Governor also joined.
As outlined on its official website, the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia provides civil rights enforcement services as well as victim assistance programs throughout the Commonwealth. The office delivers legal counsel for state agencies while working toward public safety and protection of constitutional rights across Virginia (official website). It addresses matters such as human trafficking and domestic violence through advocacy efforts (official website), offers consumer protection resources related to identity theft or fraud (official website), and serves all residents statewide (official website).
