ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking a full refund of tariffs paid this year and an injunction to stop further collection of those duties while a Supreme Court case is pending.
In its filing on Friday, Costco argued that it could lose the funds already paid even if the Supreme Court ultimately affirms lower court rulings that found former President Trump lacked the authority to impose the tariffs.
The company highlighted a looming December 15 deadline that could block refunds for tariffs paid on an estimated basis. Costco did not disclose the total amount it seeks to recover.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade, states that U.S. Customs and Border Protection denied Costco’s request to extend the December 15 “liquidation” date—the final calculation of tariffs on imported goods.
Although importers generally have six months to contest liquidation, the suit notes that “not all liquidations are protestable.”
A number of other companies have filed similar lawsuits to protect their right to potential refunds in case the Supreme Court rules against the so-called reciprocal tariffs that Trump imposed on imports from many U.S. trading partners and his so-called fentanyl tariffs on products from Canada, China, and Mexico.
