Tallahassee, Florida - A conservative nonprofit group sued President Donald Trump and his administration on Thursday over alleged misuse of emergency powers to impose tariffs on all imports from China earlier this year.

The lawsuit, filed by New Civil Liberties Alliance, disputed the legality of Trump's executive order from February 1, but not the broader set of tariffs announced on Wednesday that also target US allies and trading partners around the world.

Trump's February executive order, based on a 1977 law granting presidents sweeping powers during an economic emergency, was "unconstitutional," said the nonprofit, New Civil Liberties Alliance, in the filing to a Florida federal court.

The 1970s law "authorizes presidents to order sanctions as a rapid response to international emergencies. It does not allow a president to impose tariffs on the American people," argued the group, which describes itself as nonpartisan but is backed by significant conservative donors.

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The new far-reaching tariffs, unveiled by Trump on Wednesday, sowed panic in the markets, setting off a global stocks rout and sending oil prices to the lowest levels since December 2021.

Despite being presented as "reciprocal tariffs," the levies were calculated purely on the basis of US trade deficits with various countries, a formula that leading economist Adam Tooze called "idiotic."