Donald Trump has been sued by New York’s governor and the state’s top prosecutor over the US president’s “reckless” tariffs.

Kathy Hochul, the Governor of New York, and Letitia James, the Attorney General, joined their counterparts from 11 other states to file the action in the United States Court of International Trade, located in New York City.

The action alleged Mr Trump did not have the authority to impose such sweeping actions under executive order alone, and said that Congress had not granted him the authority to do so.

“President Trump’s reckless tariffs have skyrocketed costs for consumers and unleashed economic chaos across the country. New York is standing up to fight back against the largest federal tax hike in American history,” said Ms Hochul.

“Attorney General James and I are partnering on this litigation on behalf of New York consumers, because we can’t let president Trump push our country into a recession.”

Ms James has had an often strained relationship with Mr Trump after her office led a prosecution of the Trump Organisation, which was subsequently found guilty of fraud and ordered to pay around £350.4 million ($464.6 million).

Mr Trump and his sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr, were also barred from doing business in the state for three years.

Earlier this month, it emerged the Trump administration had accused Ms James of mortgage fraud and had made a referral to the Department of Justice.

The head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency said Ms James “appeared to have falsified records” relating to properties she owned in Virginia and New York. Ms James has denied any wrongdoing.

In a statement on Wednesday, Ms James said the president “does not have the power to raise taxes on a whim, but that’s exactly what President Trump has been doing with these tariffs”.

She added: “Donald Trump promised that he would lower prices and ease the cost of living, but these illegal tariffs will have the exact opposite effect on American families. His tariffs are unlawful and if not stopped, they will lead to more inflation, unemployment, and economic damage.”

There was no immediate response from the president or the White House.

The other states joining the legal action are Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Vermont.