Washington Governor Bob Ferguson has filed an amicus, or “friend of the court,” brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of a legal challenge to block the Trump Administration’s tariffs.
Ferguson is leading a coalition of 27 public and private partners that have “borne the consequences of President Trump’s tariffs and disregard for separation of powers,” including increased costs for consumers, supply chain disruptions, and lost revenues across industries.
The amicus brief asserts that public and private interests in Washington are disproportionately harmed. Specifically, if the tariffs are allowed to continue, the brief states Washington is projected to lose 32,000 jobs and suffer a net loss of $8.1 billion in output sales by 2029.
According to the amicus brief: “In the few short months since their implementation, these tariffs have undermined the state’s economic well-being and severely disrupted key sectors of Washington’s economy, including agriculture, manufacturing, and technology, resulting in higher costs for consumers and businesses, and reduced competitiveness in global markets.”
The brief also states the sweeping tariffs unilaterally imposed by the President “undermine the bedrock principles” upon which the country was founded.
The Attorney General’s Office appointed attorneys Steven Fogg and Kathryn Joy of Corr Cronin LLP as special assistant attorneys general to handle the brief pro bono, at no cost to the state.
