mario with money
Image Credit: New Rockstars

Nintendo is suing the United States government (and no, not for that Pokopia MAGA thing)

When I saw that Nintendo was suing America, I immediately cheered internally, thinking it was over the White House using Pokopia’s font on a pro-MAGA tweet. Wow, they’re actually standing up to the White House!? Turns out, they’re not.

Nintendo is suing the United States government over President Donald Trump’s over-the-top tariffs imposed in 2025. They join more than 1,000 companies and multiple states suing the government over the tariffs, which the government itself has ruled illegal. Anti-tariff groups have also been stating that companies deserve to get the money back that they lost through the tariffs over the past year.

Nintendo of America suing over illegal tariffs

In February 2026, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump’s tariffs were illegally placed, and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 argument didn’t help. Now, Nintendo and other companies want a refund after losing billions to the imposed tariffs.

“This action concerns Defendants’ initiation and administration of unlawful trade measures that have, to date, resulted in the collection of more than $200 billion in tariffs on imports from nearly all countries,” Nintendo’s lawyers wrote.

Nintendo wants a refund — with interest. When the tariffs were implemented in February 2025, Nintendo was manufacturing its Switch 2 console in Vietnam and China. Nintendo had to delay pre-orders once the tariffs were announced. It also had to raise the price of the console’s accessories to off set the tariffs. The Trump Administration was very chaotic with the tariffs, at one point implementing a 125% tariff on goods from China, then reducing it to 34% a few months later.

“All tariffs collected under the IEEPA Duties must be refunded with interest,” the lawyers wrote.

You can read the entire lawsuit here.

This is probably the first time that gamers are cheering on Nintendo’s lawyers.


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Author
Image of Olivia Richman
Olivia Richman
Deputy Editor
Olivia has been an esports and gaming journalist for around 10 years, including work for Inven Global, Team Liquid, Dot Esports, Esports Insider, and Esports.gg. She is a member of the FGC and wants to create content that showcases their uniqueness and passion in the esports and gaming space. When she isn't playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, she is playing board games, setting up her Nintendo 64 corner in her game room, finding new food spots, and arguing about why Kirby is the strongest being in the entire universe.