Nintendo, through its American division Nintendo of America, has filed a lawsuit against the US Department of the Treasury, the US Department of Homeland Security, and US Customs and Border Protection. The "Big N" is demanding the return of money that was paid in the form of tariffs imposed by orders of President Donald Trump.
The lawsuit was filed with the US Court of International Trade. The company's lawyers claim that starting February 1, 2025, the Trump administration collected duties from companies importing goods into the United States on the basis of "illegal" executive orders that imposed tariffs on imports from many countries.
According to Nintendo representatives, the company has the right to bring a legal claim because it acts as the official importer of goods covered by these duties. The documents also state that the company suffered direct harm because of the tariffs.
In particular, in April 2025, Nintendo had to postpone the start of preorders for the Nintendo Switch 2 console. Later, the company also raised prices on some accessories — this was directly related to the global tariffs introduced by the Trump administration.
Nintendo's lawyers warn that without court intervention, the company could suffer "irreparable harm" if the paid tariffs are not refunded together with interest.
The lawsuit notes that even after the recent decision by the US Supreme Court recognizing the tariffs as unlawful, refunds to importers are not guaranteed. Therefore, the company is forced to seek compensation through the courts.
The situation is complicated by the position of US Customs and Border Protection: the agency told the court that for now it cannot comply with the demand to refund the duties because of technical limitations.