22 Democratic Attorneys General Oppose Proposed 'Forced Labor' Tariffs

A coalition of 22 Democratic state attorneys general, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, announced its opposition on Monday to a Trump administration proposal for new tariffs. The plan would impose duties of up to 12.5% on 59 countries and the European Union, citing their alleged failure to curb trade in goods made with forced labor.

In a letter, the attorneys general called the proposed tariffs unlawful, arguing they would increase consumer prices and continue the "economic devastation that prior tariffs have caused." They contend the move is a pretext to re-establish emergency tariffs that were invalidated by the U.S. Supreme Court in February. The letter was submitted ahead of a three-day public hearing on the matter, scheduled to begin Tuesday by the U.S. Trade Representative's Office (USTR).

The AGs, including those from states like New York, Michigan, and Arizona, accused the USTR of abusing its "Section 301" authority to implement "sweeping blanket tariffs on nearly all imports." They stated that the record does not justify such broad measures to address the global issue of forced labor and urged the USTR to instead "work collaboratively and effectively with countries" through other means.

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The letter highlights what the AGs describe as inconsistencies, noting that a government report cites frozen beef from Brazil as a product of forced labor, yet the proposed tariffs would exempt many beef products. They argue this demonstrates the tariffs are not targeted to change behavior. The USTR has declined to comment on the letter, citing its policy on ongoing trade investigations.