Nike Sued by Consumers for Not Refunding Tariff Costs

Nike was sued on Friday ‌by consumers who accused the athletic apparel and footwear maker of not ‌refunding tariff-related costs it passed on in ⁠the form of higher prices.
Published: 5/8/2026, 11:53:59 PM EDT
Nike Sued by Consumers for Not Refunding Tariff Costs
Nike sneakers are seen on display at a store in Westfield Stratford City, London, Britain, on July 30. (Mina Kim/Reuters)

Nike was sued on Friday ‌by consumers who accused the athletic apparel and footwear maker of not ‌refunding tariff-related costs it passed on in ⁠the form of higher prices.

In a proposed class action, consumers said Nike should not be allowed to ​keep "significant" refunds it can expect after the U.S. Supreme Court in ⁠February struck down sweeping tariffs that President Donald Trump imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

The Beaverton, Oregon-based company has said it paid about $1 billion in tariffs on imported goods as a result of ‌Trump's actions. ⁠Consumers said Nike raised prices on some footwear by $5 to $10 and some apparel ‌by $2 to $10 to offset the costs.

"Nike has made no legally binding commitment to return tariff-related ​overcharges to the consumers who actually paid them," the complaint said.

"Unless ​restrained by this court, Nike stands ​to recover the same tariff payments twice — once from consumers through higher prices and ⁠again from the federal government through tariff refunds."

Nike did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

It joins a variety of companies including Costco and ​Ray-Ban sunglasses maker EssilorLuxottica that have ⁠been sued by consumers for allegedly failing to pass ​on tariff refunds to ​consumers.

The ‌Nike lawsuit was filed in the Portland, Oregon, federal court.

In a March 31 conference call, Nike said its fiscal ‌quarter ending in August 2026 would likely be the final ⁠quarter when tariffs are a material year-over-year headwind to gross margin.

By Jonathan ‌Stempel