Costco Sues Trump, Demands "Full Refund" of Tariffs

Multinational retail giant Costco has sued the U.S. government seeking a full refund of import duties if the Supreme Court rules that President Donald Trump lacked the authority to impose tariffs without congressional approval, Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu reported for BBC News.

Costco said its business had been harmed by the tariffs and expressed concern it would not receive reimbursement even if the high court upholds previous rulings. (Mike Mozart Flickr) 

Costco’s lawsuit asks the federal trade court to declare Trump’s “emergency” tariffs illegal, an authority the president claims under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

Two lower courts have already ruled that Trump exceeded his authority by using emergency powers to impose tariffs.

The case is now before the Supreme Court, and several companies are moving to protect their rights to refunds should the justices strike down the tariffs.

In its most recent filing, Costco said its business had been harmed by the tariffs and expressed concern it would not receive reimbursement even if the high court upholds previous rulings.

Lawyers for the retailer argued that a “separate action is necessary” as refunds are not guaranteed “in the absence of their own judgment and judicial relief.”

Costco, the world’s third-largest retailer, did not specify how much it is seeking, but U.S. Customs data shows importers have already paid about $90 billion in IEEPA-related tariffs as of late September.

The company filed its suit in the U.S. Court of International Trade ahead of a Dec. 15, 2025 deadline, after which recovering any tariffs paid would become far more difficult.

In May, that court was the first to rule that Trump’s tariffs were unlawful—a decision subsequently affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals.