Amazon sued for keeping illegal Trump-era tariff fees paid by consumers

A proposed class‑action lawsuit was filed in federal court in Seattle accusing Amazon.com of retaining hundreds of millions of dollars in costs it passed on to shoppers after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in February that former President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, were unlawful. Plaintiffs allege the e‑commerce giant failed to seek refunds from the government and instead kept the money, violating Washington state consumer‑protection law and claiming unjust enrichment.

The complaint cites the Supreme Court’s 6‑3 decision that invalidated the tariffs and notes that thousands of companies are now seeking billions of dollars in refunds. Similar consumer suits have been filed against retailers such as Costco, Nike and FedEx. Amazon has not responded to requests for comment.

The case highlights the legal risks for large retailers navigating pricing decisions tied to politically driven tariffs and could influence how future corporate refund and pricing practices are handled.