Attorney General Ford Seeks to Halt Tariffs in Landmark Case at U.S. Supreme Court

Carson City, NV – Today, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford announced the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a landmark case filed by the Office of the Attorney General challenging the federal government’s use of emergency powers to impose sweeping tariffs. Attorney General Ford and a coalition of 11 other states filed the lawsuit, which tests whether the President exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

“The chaos that President Trump has created through these unlawful tariffs will have devastating impacts on our economy and Nevada workers if not kept in check,” said Attorney General Ford. “I believe that the Supreme Court will uphold what has already been decided: namely, that the president does not have the power to unilaterally impose tariffs. I will not allow unlawful and destructive acts that raise costs; damage our economy; and hurt our workers without a fight.”

On April 23, 2025, Attorney General Ford and the coalition filed the suit in the U.S. Court of International Trade. The case challenges the president’s use of IEEPA to impose broad tariffs on imports, arguing that statute does not delegate Congress’s tariff powers under Article I of the U.S. Constitution.

The tariffs at issue included sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs on nearly all imports, as well as targeted tariffs affecting Canada, Mexico and China, among others. In May 2025, the United States Court of International Trade ruled in favor of the states, finding the tariffs exceeded the president’s authority under IEEPA.

The federal government appealed against that ruling. On Aug. 29, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed that ruling — finding the president’s tariff orders went beyond the statutory grant of authority and were therefore unlawful. The Supreme Court agreed to expedited review of the Federal Circuit decision.

The Supreme Court’s ruling will determine whether the president can unilaterally impose tariffs under emergency powers and what limits the Constitution places on executive trade authority.

Nevada’s economy is already feeling the effects of these tariffs. Experts have estimated that the tariffs could impose $985 million in new costs on Nevada businesses based on the rate of imported goods into the Silver State. When reduced to simple consideration of tariffs on China, Nevada could see $305 million in new costs.

Alongside Attorney General Ford, the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Vermont filed the suit in the U.S. Court of International Trade.

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