The US Court of International Trade heard arguments on Tuesday in a challenge to President Donald Trump's forced-labour tariffs, brought by the Liberty Justice Center.

The case targets the 10 to 12.5 percent tariffs imposed since late July on goods from 80 countries, levied under Section 301 of US trade law on the grounds of forced-labour concerns. Over the weekend, Trump also raised the separate Section 122 baseline tariff to 15 percent, up from 10 percent.

The legal fight matters because the Supreme Court ruled in February that the administration's earlier IEEPA-based tariffs were unlawful, a decision that triggered an estimated 168 billion dollars in refunds. The White House has since shifted its tariff programme onto other legal foundations, including Sections 122 and 301.

Former trade officials including Alan Wolff, Carla Hills and Warren Maruyama have filed briefs arguing that Section 301 is being misused, saying the statute was designed for targeted unfair-trade findings, not sweeping country-wide duties. The US Trade Representative is meanwhile continuing separate Section 301 investigations into China and Brazil.

The court's decision could reshape the administration's entire tariff strategy and determine whether billions in new duties stand.