Japanese gaming company Nintendo has filed a lawsuit against the United States Government, seeking refunds on tariffs imposed during the administration of Donald Trump.
The company argues that the tariffs were unlawful and had disrupted the rollout of its new Nintendo Switch 2 console.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade and asks the court to order a refund of tariff payments made by Nintendo.
The company is also seeking interest and attorney fees, arguing that the tariffs were imposed unlawfully.
Nintendo’s legal action follows a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which struck down Trump-era tariffs introduced under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977.
Nintendo is not the only company pursuing legal action.
More than 1,000 companies are reportedly seeking refunds for tariffs imposed during the previous administration.
Among them are major firms such as FedEx and Costco, which were also affected by the trade policy.
Impact on the Switch 2 launch
The tariffs created uncertainty for tech manufacturers at a critical time.
They were introduced just as Nintendo was preparing the launch of its new console, the Nintendo Switch 2.
Because of the changing tariff environment, the company delayed pre-orders for the device while it evaluated the potential financial impact.
At the time, several technology companies avoided publicly criticizing the tariffs.
Instead, firms such as Microsoft and Nintendo cited “evolving market conditions” when explaining price increases or shipment delays.
However, the court ruling against the tariffs has prompted companies to speak more openly about the issue.
Nintendo claims financial harm
In the lawsuit, Nintendo said the company had been “substantially harmed” by what it described as the unlawful implementation of the tariffs.
The filing asks the court to order the prompt refund of duties paid, regardless of their administrative status.
The company is also requesting any additional remedies the court considers appropriate.
Case targets US government agencies
The legal case, titled Nintendo of America Inc. v. United States of America, names several entities as defendants.
These include:
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection
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U.S. Department of the Treasury
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U.S. Department of Commerce
The lawsuit also mentions former officials from the Trump administration, including Kristi Noem, who previously served as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Trump’s tariffs had widespread effects across the technology sector.
Many companies raised prices on products such as laptops, gaming consoles, and accessories to offset the higher import costs.
Reports at the time suggested that large firms, including Nintendo, faced tariff bills exceeding $1 billion per quarter.
Switch 2 eventually launched
Despite the tariff complications, Nintendo ultimately released the Nintendo Switch 2 on schedule.
The console launched with a $449.99 price tag, which remained unchanged.
However, the company increased the prices of several Switch 2 accessories, reflecting the added costs caused by the tariffs.
Following the Supreme Court ruling, Donald Trump announced a new 10% global tariff rate.
He has also suggested the possibility of raising the rate to 15% in the future.
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