Nintendo sues the US government over tariffs — Japanese videogame giant seeks 200 billion refund with interest

Source: Tom’s Hardware

Image credit: Getty Images

Nintendo of America filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government on March 6 in the U.S. Court of International Trade, seeking a refund of tariffs it paid under President Donald Trump’s executive orders since February 2025. The complaint, obtained by Aftermath, states that the tariffs were unlawfully imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA) and asks for the return of the collected duties “with interest,” as well as attorney fees and the reprocessing of its import entries.

Background and Legal Claims

• Nintendo is among more than 1,000 companies that have filed suit, joining FedEx, Costco, and Revlon.
• The 14‑page complaint (case no. 1:26‑cv‑1540) alleges that tariffs have resulted in the collection of more than $200 billion in import taxes on imports from nearly all countries since February 2025.
• Nintendo told Aftermath it had filed the complaint but had “nothing else to share.”

The complaint references the government’s own prior concessions in the V.O.S. Selections v. Trump litigation, where the government argued that if tariffs were held unlawful, refunds—including post‑judgment interest—would be issued to plaintiffs. Nintendo’s lawyers cite this language to argue that the government is already bound by that position.

Defendants

Nintendo’s lawsuit names the following U.S. agencies as defendants:

• Department of the Treasury
• Department of Homeland Security
• Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
• Customs and Border Protection
• Department of Commerce

Tariff Timeline

The complaint covers ten executive orders, ranging from the initial February 1, 2025 tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China to later measures such as:

• A 40 % tariff on Brazilian goods (mid‑2025)
• A 25 % tariff on Indian goods tied to its purchases of Russian oil (mid‑2025)

China‑specific duties escalated dramatically:

• 10 % → 20 % → 84 % → 125 % (peak) → reduced to 34 % in May 2025

Impact on Nintendo Products

Nintendo manufactures its consoles and accessories primarily in Vietnam and China, placing it directly in the crossfire of the sweeping tariffs announced in April 2025.

• Switch 2 pre‑orders were delayed from April 9 to April 24 to assess cost impact.
• Prices on accessories rose rather than the console itself:
  • Joy‑Con 2 controllers: $90 → $95 per pair (ahead of the June 5 launch)
  • Pro Controller: $79.99 → $84.99

By August 2025, Nintendo raised prices across the original Switch family in the U.S.:

• OLED model: $349.99 → $399.99
• Standard Switch: $299.99 → $339.99

These increases followed a 20 % tariff imposed on goods from Vietnam.

Nintendo’s complaint focuses on the IEEPA duties, leaving the company’s exposure to future tariffs on its Vietnam and China production an open question. The firm warned last year that Switch 2 pricing “may be subject to change” depending on market conditions.