The wholesale membership big-box chain Costco is suing the Trump administration, demanding a refund on its tariff expenses.
According to NBC News, "The company said in a Nov. 28 filing that it is seeking a 'full refund' of all ... duties paid as a result of President Donald Trump's executive order which imposed what he called 'reciprocal' tariffs," on the grounds that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not authorize him to unilaterally impose tariffs in the first place.
Trump's "reciprocal tariffs" levy billions of dollars in taxes on Americans who import from practically any foreign country, based on calculations of the U.S. trade balance with those countries — even if a trade surplus or deficit exists for reasons other than statutory trade laws.
“Because IEEPA does not clearly authorize the President to set tariffs ... the Challenged Tariff Orders cannot stand and the defendants are not authorized to implement and collect them,” stated Costco's legal filings.
This comes as the Supreme Court is weighing a landmark case that decides precisely whether IEEPA gives the president the authority to impose tariffs.
Trump has repeatedly taken to his Truth Social platform to demand the Supreme Court let him do what he wants, saying in one recent rant that “The USA is respected again, respected like never before. All of this was brought about by Strong Leadership and TARIFFS, without which we would be a poor and pathetic laughingstock again. Evil, American hating Forces are fighting us at the United States Supreme Court. Pray to God that our Nine Justices will show great wisdom, and do the right thing for America!”
Costco has clashed with MAGA forces on previous occasions as well, having fended off an attempt by a Trump-aligned think tank to pressure its shareholders into abolishing the company's diversity policies.