A consortium of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and business operators filed a lawsuit to stop Hawaii's controversial "Green Fee," which is set to take effect on January 1, 2026. The CLIA argued that the fee violates the U.S. Constitution's Tonnage Clause and the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1884 , which ensures uniform national maritime commerce regulations, prohibiting states from imposing charges on ships in navigable waters without federal approval.

Now the U.S. Department of Justice is backing CLIA's lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Honolulu, Hawaii, calling it an "illegal extortion." According to the State of Hawaii, the tourism tax of 11% will go to Hawaii's environmental conservation and climate disaster reduction, plus a 3% surcharge by Hawai

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