Nintendo takes Trump tariffs to court

Nintendo has leveled a bold legal challenge against the U.S. government.

It has filed suit in the Court of International Trade over President Donald Trump’s sweeping second-term tariff measures.

The Japanese video game giant is demanding a “refund with interest” of duties paid since February, as per Entertainment Weekly.

It argued that Trump’s reliance on the International Economic Emergency Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA) to impose tariffs was unlawful.

Filed Friday, the lawsuit named Treasury, Homeland Security, Trade, Customs & Border Protection, and their leaders, including recently fired DHS secretary Kristi Noem, as defendants.

Nintendo claimed the tariffs have resulted in over $200 billion collected on imports from nearly all countries.

The company insisted the court must take action with respect to the refund demand "within two years after the cause of first action accrues."

It is pertinent to note that Trump’s return to office in January 2025 saw tariffs of up to 25% on China, Mexico, and Canada.

On April 2, 2025, he declared “Liberation Day,” invoking IEEPA to impose a 10% reciprocal tariff on all imports, with some countries facing hikes up to 50%.

The Supreme Court struck down several of his most aggressive measures in February in a 6–3 ruling.

Trump even threatened a 100% tariff on foreign films last year, rattling Hollywood before backing down.

He later doubled down rhetorically, claiming America’s movie industry was being “stolen… just like candy from a baby.”

Nintendo’s lawsuit now joins a wave of challenges from states and industries, amplifying the backlash against Trump’s trade agenda.