Attorney General Charity Clark speaks during a press conference at the Statehouse in Montpelier on June 18, 2024. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger Theo Wells-Spackman is a Report for America corps member who reports for VTDigger. Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark joined a multistate lawsu it against the Trump administration Thursday, challenging new wide-ranging tariffs the president announced following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that blocked a similar previous effort. On Feb. 20, the Supreme Court ruled that a set of high, rapidly shifting tariffs the White House imposed beginning last year had been levied illegally. In the following days, President Donald Trump announced a new 15% “Worldwide” tariff policy, citing authority derived from a little-known clause of U.S. trade law.  Clark, along with fellow attorneys general and governors in 23 states, filed suit in the U.S. Court of International Trade to halt the latest tariffs and to require federal officials to refund new tariff payments made by U.S. importers before such an action is taken.  “This latest scheme is a blatant attempt to circumvent the Supreme Court’s decision and the limitations on the President’s authority established by the Constitution and Congress,” Clark said in a statement Thursday about the most recent wave of tariffs. The complaint argues that the president’s legal basis for imposing new tariffs is “fatally flawed” and notes that his argument rests on a law that “has never been used to impose tariffs.” The new tariffs are similar in reach to the set struck down by the Supreme Court, according to analysis in national media, and in many cases will likely carry forward the same exemptions. Key differences include a single global tariff rate, as opposed to country-specific levies, and a 150-day statutory limit on the president’s latest measure. Vermont’s congressional delegation has strongly criticized the Trump administration’s trade policy. “This arbitrary abuse of authority was causing havoc for our small businesses, and making a real difference in what was happening here in Vermont,” said Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., during a Feb. 23 press conference following the Supreme Court’s ruling. Vermont economists have been particularly critical of the president’s trade policy and antagonistic rhetoric directed at Canada — the state’s largest trade partner — saying his actions have contributed to a drop in tourism. Small-business owners have echoed such concerns to VTDigger, citing debilitating overhead costs that force price increases and drive customers away. This week’s suit comes after Clark and a Vermont cycling business filed lawsuits last spring against Trump’s first round of tariffs. For Clark, such measures are becoming routine: Thursday’s lawsuit marks the 43rd legal challenge the Vermont attorney general has leveled at the Trump administration since January 2025. Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermont attorney general joins lawsuit against new wave of Trump tariffs. ...read more read less