Ferguson targets ‘illegal’ Trump tariffs with his support for multi-state lawsuit
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson announced Wednesday that he’d filed an amicus brief in support of a multi-state lawsuit that aims to stop “illegal” tariffs imposed by the administration of President Donald Trump.
Ferguson previously served as the state’s attorney general, a role in which he famously sued Trump’s first administration nearly 100 times.
Now the Democrat is spearheading a coalition of two dozen partners, both public and private, with claims that the president’s tariff policy is arbitrary and unlawful — one that inflicts “disproportionate harm in Washington state.”
Businesses depend on certainty, be it from the global market or state-government regulations, Ferguson said at a May 21 news conference at the Port of Seattle.
“They need to be able to plan ahead, and these tariffs have really thrown all that into a state of chaos,” he said. ”I’m proud that in the face of that federal chaos, leaders here in Washington continue to work together to stand up for all Washingtonians.”
The White House did not immediately return McClatchy’s request for comment.
State Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti, five labor unions, 10 state lawmakers and the mayors of Spokane and Seattle are joining the effort. So are the Washington Economic Development Association and other interests related to business and economic development.
The governor’s amicus brief, filed May 20, warns that Trump’s tariffs will continue harming the state’s interests by interrupting supply chains. He also expects that the tariffs will prompt businesses and residents to pay more for services, goods and equipment.
Ferguson said the tariffs will intervene with his ability to mold and implement a state budget and “pursue state policy priorities amid the significant uncertainty, chaos and adverse economic conditions caused by the tariffs.”
The multi-state lawsuit was filed April 23 in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York. It takes aim at four presidential executive orders that assert Trump’s authority to raise tariffs globally — without first gaining approval from Congress.
Not so fast, Ferguson says: It’s Congress, not the president, that enjoys the power to implement tariffs under the Constitution.
Suzanne Dale Estey, executive director of the Washington Economic Development Association, said she’s aware of “alarming concerns” related to the federal tariff proposals, such as supply chain challenges, possible loss of revenue and job layoffs.
Dale Estey said the tariffs could hamper the state’s economic competitiveness.
“Our organization and our position on this issue is not partisan,” she said. “It is about jobs: jobs which support families and jobs which support communities.”
Some 40% of jobs in Washington are linked to international trade, placing the state among the country’s most trade-dependent states, she said.
Steven Fogg, a partner at the Seattle law firm Corr Cronin LLP, is helping provide pro-bono legal assistance.
“These tariffs are crippling our state,” he said at the news conference. “There’s massive economic cost. It wasn’t hard to put together a coalition here, because everybody feels it across the state.”
Trump has pursued a 145% tariff on most Chinese products that has since temporarily dropped to 30%, as noted in a Wednesday news release. There’s also a 25% tariff on many items from Mexico and Canada, plus 10% tariffs “on most products from the rest of the world.”
About 160,000 jobs statewide were supported by Washington goods exports as of 2022, according to the governor’s office — nearly 18% higher than the national average.
U.S. consumers covered 95% of costs associated with tariffs during Trump’s first term, according to Ferguson’s office. The International Monetary Fund and Federal Reserve projected that this latest tariffs round will lead to inflation.
In March alone, Trump administration-imposed tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada were forecast to heap $4 billion in additional costs onto Washington imports, according to the news release.
“Altogether, the illegal tariffs could cost Washington companies an estimated $18 billion to $21 billion,” Ferguson’s office said in a news release. “By comparison, last year Washington companies paid just $2 billion in total tariffs on all imports from all countries — meaning the new tariffs could increase the state’s tariff burden tenfold.”
At 11 a.m. Thursday, Ferguson is scheduled to deliver a press conference on Congress’ suggested cuts to Medicaid.
.jpg)