About 3,500 US Companies Have Sued The US Administration
About 3,500 US companies, including Tesla, Ford Motor, and retail chains Target and Home Depot, have sued the U.S. administration in the past two weeks for imposing more than $ 300 billion (257.86 billion) in tariffs on goods made in China.Lawsuits filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade refer to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and the Office of Customs and Border Protection.They are aimed, from the companies' point of view, against the illegal escalation of the US trade dispute with China in connection with the third and fourth rounds of tariffs.The US companies claim that the US government did not introduce duties within the required 12-month period and did not follow administrative procedures.
The companies question "an untied and unrestricted trade war that affects billions of dollars worth of imports from the People's Republic of China," according to a lawsuit filed by automotive parts maker Dana Corp.
The actions concern duties imposed within two groups, known as List 3 and List 4A. List 3 is a 25% duty on imports from China for around $ 200 billion, while List 4A covers a duty of 7.5% on goods worth $ 120 billion.
One lawsuit claims that the administration cannot extend customs duties to other Chinese imports "for reasons not related to unfair practices or theft of intellectual property, as was previously the case".
Companies that have filed lawsuits include heavy truck manufacturer Volvo Group North America, U.S. retailer Pep Boys, clothing company Ralph Lauren, guitar manufacturer Gibson, U.S. division Lenovo, golf equipment manufacturer Callaway Golf and others.
The Home Depot chain said in a lawsuit that it faced tariffs on bamboo floors, cordless drills and many other products from China.
The U.S. Attorney's Office has not yet responded to requests for comments.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) said on September 15 that the United States had violated global trade rules by imposing multibillion-dollar tariffs in a trade war with China.
The US claims that tariffs on Chinese goods were justified because China stole intellectual property and forced American companies to transfer their technologies to China in exchange for access to the local market.