Natalie Olivo (Bloomberg Law): Costco Calls Suit Over Tariff Refunds Premature
Costco urged an Illinois federal court to toss a putative consumer class action seeking to recoup the higher costs that shoppers paid under President Donald Trump’s global tariffs, contending that the case is premature in the wake of uncertain corporate refunds.
Meanwhile, Stockov has claimed that Costco is one of thousands of companies that have sought to recoup duties paid while the tariffs imposed early in Trump’s second term were still in effect. But the retail giant has made “no commitment to return any portion of anticipated tariff refunds to the consumers,” according to his complaint.
Arguing that consumers are the ones who ultimately shoulder most tariff costs, Stockov said the putative Costco class action is aimed at stopping the company from profiting twice: once through the higher prices it charged consumers and again through any proceeds from its effort to recover the now-voided tariffs.
The Illinois resident asked the court to declare that Costco is obligated to return to class members “all IEEPA duties passed on to customers in the form of higher prices on products, with interest.” The tariffs in question ranged from 10% to as much as 145%, he said.
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