Attorney General Jeff Jackson Sues to Stop Latest Round of Unlawful Tariffs

Permanent Tariffs Will Cost North Carolina Households $1,100 Every Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Contact: comms@ncdoj.gov
919-538-2809

RALEIGH – Attorney General Jeff Jackson filed a second lawsuit on Monday against the federal government’s attempt to place permanent unlawful tariffs on North Carolinians. In July, the government placed 10% to 12.5% tariffs on 80 countries that together account for nearly all U.S. imports. North Carolina families will now pay $1,100 per year because of tariffs, and North Carolina businesses could see layoffs and profit losses as a result.

“These tariffs are hurting families, farmers, and business owners,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “They’re illegal, and they’re making things harder for North Carolinians who are working around the clock to keep the lights on, pay rent, and afford gas. We’re going to court to protect our state.”

A June 2026 report by the John Locke Foundation found that “United States consumers are bearing the full costs of tariffs.” Additional reporting from the Carolina Journal shows that tariffs hit North Carolina’s farmers hard because they sell some of the state’s largest agricultural exports to foreign markets – including pork, soybeans, sweet potatoes, and tobacco. When the United States places tariffs on goods we buy from other countries, they often retaliate by setting their own tariffs on U.S. goods.

This is the administration’s third attempt to impose tariffs. Last year, North Carolinians paid nearly $3.5 billion in tariffs that the administration put in place under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The Supreme Court struck down those tariffs. The administration tried again and imposed 150-day tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. Attorney General Jackson sued, and the Section 122 tariffs expired while the case is still being litigated.

Now, the government is trying to impose permanent tariffs using Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. Today’s lawsuit argues that these tariffs exceed the administration’s legal authority and violate the Administrative Procedure Act.

Attorney General Jackson is joined in filing this lawsuit by the Attorneys General of Oregon, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

A copy of the complaint is available here.

###