Shoppers exit a Costco store on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, in Centerville, Ohio, USA.
Kyle Grillot | Bloomberg | Getty Images
costco is suing the Trump administration to fully refund new tariffs paid by the warehouse retail giant already this year and to prevent those import duties from continuing to be assessed as the Supreme Court moves forward.
In a lawsuit filed Friday, Costco said it risks losing money it has already paid to meet the tariffs even if the Supreme Court ultimately upholds a lower court’s ruling that President Donald Trump lacked the legal authority to impose the tariffs.
The company noted that despite such a ruling by the Supreme Court, a December 15 deadline is approaching that could preclude refunds of fees already paid.
In its lawsuit, Costco also asks a judge to prevent U.S. Customs and Border Protection from continuing to collect tariffs while the Supreme Court case is pending.
According to the complaint, CBP denied Costco’s request for an extension of the so-called clearing deadline, which is the final calculation of duties on imported goods.
The lawsuit was filed in the United States Court of International Trade. Dozens of other companies have filed similar lawsuits to protect their rights to possible refunds if the Supreme Court rules the tariffs are illegal.
Earlier this year, President Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, imposing broad tariffs on imports from numerous countries.
“This court and the Federal Circuit have cautioned that importers may lack a legal right to recover duty refunds on liquidated items even if the underlying legality of the tariff is later determined to be illegal,” Costco’s complaint states.
“The economic consequences of not honoring President Trump’s lawful tariffs are significant, and this case highlights that fact,” White House Press Secretary Khush Desai said in a statement about the Costco lawsuit.
“The White House looks forward to the Supreme Court’s prompt and appropriate resolution of this matter,” Desai said.
The Trump administration has warned that it may have to return hundreds of millions of dollars in tariffs already paid if the Supreme Court upholds a lower court’s ruling that Trump did not have the authority to unilaterally impose tariffs under IEEPA.
