Shoppers at Costco might be used to heading home with bulk snacks, family-sized desserts, and enough toilet roll to last for a year, but the wholesaler has now stacked something very different into its trolley: a high-stakes legal battle.
In a year already packed with political whiplash, rising prices, and the kind of economic turbulence that’s having so many rethink their budgets, the retail giant has slipped into the headlines for a reason that initially sounds almost too surreal to be true.
While customers compare the price of cheese blocks and debate whether festive nibbles are getting smaller, Costco has been quietly preparing something far more significant behind the scenes. Although it’s only once you look past the shelves, the sample stations, and the seasonal decor that the scale of what they are attempting becomes clear.
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Costco is suing the President Donald Trump’s administration and demanding a huge refund on the tariffs it says were unlawfully collected throughout the year. The company filed its lawsuit in the United States Court of International Trade, arguing that a sweeping set of import duties introduced after Donald Trump returned to office in February was never legally authorised. According to the filing, the former president relied on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to justify the charges.
Still, lower courts have already ruled in a separate case that this law doesn’t allow for the kind of blanket tariffs implemented. Costco says that without launching its own case, it has no guarantee of seeing any of that money returned.
As reported by People, the lawsuit asks the court to rule that 'the IEEPA duties imposed by Defendants, and the underlying executive orders that directed them, are unlawful'.
It’s a bold step, but the retailer isn’t alone. Dozens of other companies - from make-up brands to motor manufacturers and even canned goods producers - have filed similar claims in recent months, each arguing that the administration overstepped its authority and left importers footing the bill.
The White House, unsurprisingly, has pushed back.
In a statement to PEOPLE, spokesman Kush Desai said: "The economic consequences of the failure to uphold President Trump’s lawful tariffs are enormous and this suit highlights that fact. The White House looks forward to the Supreme Court’s speedy and proper resolution of this matter."
For now, though, the tariffs remain in place while the legal process continues.
Meanwhile, shoppers are left dealing with the knock-on effect: higher costs on everything from holiday decorations to alcohol, groceries and even weddings.
FOODbible has reached out to Costco and the White House for comment.
Ben Williams