According to Crypto.News on April 25, 12 states in the U.S. formed a group to sue the federal government on the 23rd, accusing its tariff policy of being illegal; on the same day, the European Commission announced fines of 500 million euros and 200 million euros for Apple and the Metaverse platform company, respectively, based on the Digital Markets Act. The Trump administration's tariff policy is facing increasing backlash both domestically and internationally.
1. Abuse of Tariffs - 12 More States Sue
On the same day, the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Vermont filed a lawsuit against the U.S. federal government in the U.S. International Trade Court in New York, claiming that the Trump administration's tariff policy was 'impulsive and not a legitimate exercise of lawful power,' demanding that the court declare 'reciprocal tariffs' illegal and stop their implementation.
The lawsuit points out that according to the U.S. Constitution, the power to set tariffs is exclusive to Congress, and the President can only invoke emergency powers laws when facing 'unusual and extraordinary threats' from abroad. The Trump administration's imposition of massive and constantly changing tariffs on any goods entering the U.S. has undermined constitutional order and caused chaos in the U.S. economy.
New York Attorney General Letitia James's office stated in a statement that 'Congress has never granted the President the power to impose such tariffs. The government's implementation of these tariffs through executive orders, social media posts, and other means constitutes illegal action.' James stated that if the Trump administration's illegal tariff policies are not stopped, it will lead to more severe inflation, unemployment, and economic losses.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated in a statement that 'the Trump administration's reckless tariff measures have caused consumer costs to soar and triggered economic chaos nationwide.'
On April 19, people participated in a protest in front of the White House in Washington, D.C. Photo by Xinhua reporter Hu Yousong.
On the 2nd, Trump signed an executive order invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, declaring a state of emergency in the U.S. and imposing so-called 'reciprocal tariffs' on all trading partners. This move sparked strong opposition from the international community and various sectors within the U.S., leading to significant turmoil in the global financial markets.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, announced on the 16th that he is suing the Trump administration, accusing it of unlawfully abusing tariff policies. California is the first state in the U.S. to initiate a lawsuit against the Trump administration's abusive tariff policies.
2. Tech Giants Fined by the EU
Outside the U.S., on the 23rd, the European Commission issued a press release, finding that Apple and the Metaverse platform company violated the Digital Markets Act, imposing fines of 500 million euros and 200 million euros on these two companies, respectively.
The statement said that Apple restricts app developers from directing users to third-party channels in its app store, depriving users of the right to access alternative discounted services. Apple failed to demonstrate the necessity of the related restrictions, and the EU demands that it immediately lift these restrictions and refrain from adopting similar practices in the future.
The statement said that the Metaverse platform company implemented a 'consent or pay' model in 2023 in the EU region, requiring users of its 'Facebook' and 'Photo Wall' to either consent to the integration of their personal data for personalized advertising or pay a monthly fee for an ad-free version of the service. The EU found this model to be non-compliant with relevant legal requirements, thus issuing a penalty decision.
The statement said that if Apple and the Metaverse platform company do not implement rectifications within 60 days, they may face further fines. This penalty is the first non-compliance determination made by the EU since the Digital Markets Act came into effect.
This is the EU flag photographed outside the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on April 2. Photo by Xinhua reporter Zhao Dingzhe.
A White House spokesperson stated on the 23rd that the EU's penalties are 'new forms of economic extortion' and that the U.S. will not tolerate them.
Since the Trump administration took office nearly a hundred days ago, it has launched a series of broad and destructive tariff policies, with the EU being no exception among important trading partners. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated earlier this month that if negotiations with the U.S. government on tariff issues fail to reach a resolution, the EU may impose taxes on large U.S. tech companies.
According to Reuters, this fine imposed by the EU on the two U.S. tech giants is likely to exacerbate tensions between the EU and the Trump administration.
