Iran Press/ America: The suits, filed in the US Court of International Trade, named US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and the Customs and Border Protection agency and challenge what they call the unlawful escalation of the US trade war with China through the imposition of a third and fourth round of tariffs.
The companies argued the Trump administration failed to impose tariffs within a required 12-month period and did not comply with administrative procedures, News media reported.
They challenge the administration’s unbounded and unlimited trade war impacting billions of dollars in goods imported from the People’s Republic of China by importers in the United States, according to a suit filed by auto parts manufacturer Dana Corp.
The suits challenge tariffs in two separate groups known as List 3 and List 4A. List 3 includes 25 percent tariffs on about $200bn in imports, while List 4A included 7.5 percent tariffs on $120bn in goods.
One suit argues the Trump administration cannot expand tariffs to other Chinese imports for reasons untethered to the unfair intellectual property policies and practices it originally investigated.
Companies filing suit include heavy truck manufacturer Volvo Group North America, US auto parts retailer Pep Boys, clothing company Ralph Lauren, Sysco Corp, guitar manufacturer Gibson Brands, Lenovo’s US unit, Dole Packaged Foods, a unit of Itochu, and golf equipment manufacturer Callaway Golf.
On September 15, the World Trade Organization found the US breached global trading rules by imposing multibillion-dollar tariffs in Trump’s trade war with China.
The Trump administration said the tariffs on Chinese goods were justified, claiming China was stealing intellectual property and forcing US companies to transfer technology for access to China’s markets.
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