Consumers Sue Amazon for Keeping Hundreds of Millions in Tariff Costs

Alexa Alix Last Updated: May 18, 2026 3 minutes read A proposed class action lawsuit filed in federal court in Seattle accuses Amazon of collecting hundreds of millions of dollars in unlawful tariff costs from consumers and refusing to seek government refunds, allegedly to maintain political goodwill with the Trump administration.

The case is one of several similar suits now targeting major U. S. retailers over the same issue, following the Supreme Court's February 2026 ruling that struck down the tariffs as illegal.

What the Lawsuit Claims The complaint was filed by two consumers, Lisa Markland of Maryland and Mari Cartagenova of Massachusetts, and covers purchases made between February 4, 2025 and February 20, 2026.

That window spans the period from when tariffs were first imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to the day the Supreme Court voted 6-3 to strike them down.

The plaintiffs allege that Amazon, acting as importer of record for goods sold through its online store, embedded IEEPA tariff costs in consumer prices rather than absorbing them internally.

Following the Supreme Court's decision, the Court of International Trade confirmed on March 4, 2026 that the right to reclaim those duties from the federal government rests solely with importers of record. Consumers cannot file directly. The suit alleges Amazon has chosen not to pursue that recovery.

“The problem is that the funds Amazon is using to stay in the President's good graces do not belong to Amazon,” the complaint states. “These funds were wrongfully taken from consumers to cover IEEPA tariffs that have since been invalidated. Those funds belong to the consumers who paid them.”

The Political Angle The complaint draws a direct line between Amazon's inaction and pressure from the White House. The lawsuit references a reported conversation between President Trump and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos after reports surfaced in April 2025 that Amazon was considering displaying how much of a product's price stemmed from IEEPA tariffs.

Amazon denied the report, saying it never considered listing tariff-related costs on its main retail site. Trump subsequently said he would “remember” companies that chose not to seek refunds, and the complaint argues Amazon responded accordingly.

“Amazon's decision to forgo recovery serves its own political and commercial interests at the direct expense of the consumers who bore the tariff costs in the first place,” the lawsuit alleges. What the Pricing Data Shows The suit does not rely solely on political arguments.

Pricing data cited in the complaint points to a Wall Street Journal analysis of 2,500 Amazon products, which found that around 1,200 low-cost items rose in price by an average of 5. 2% between January and July 2025. Over that same period, Walmart reduced prices on the same products by nearly 2%.

A separate review of more than 1,400 Chinese-made products sold on Amazon showed a median price rise of 2. 6% between January and mid-June 2025. The Budget Lab at Yale University found that tariffs drove approximately 86% of the rise in prices for imported household goods up to January 2026. From February 2025 to January 2026, U. S.

consumers paid more than $231 billion in tariff-related costs, or roughly $1,745 per household. Lead plaintiff Lisa Markland bought a vacuum cleaner made in China and an audio adapter made in Vietnam during the tariff period, paying $41. 19 for the vacuum at a price higher than before the IEEPA tariffs took effect.

The filing argues this detail “ demonstrates that Amazon has the record-keeping ability to identify each consumer who paid a higher cost due to a Trump tariff.” Amazon Is Not Alone Amazon is not the only retailer facing this type of legal action.

Nike, Costco, Shein, Temu, Lululemon, and FedEx are all tied to similar class action litigation over the same issue. Meanwhile, FedEx, UPS, and DHL have all begun the tariff refund process and pledged to return funds to affected customers, a contrast the Amazon lawsuit highlights directly. More than 2,000 companies have filed suits in the U. S.

Court of International Trade seeking to recover tariffs paid on imported goods, and CBP's refund portal has processed claims covering more than 11 million individual entries since opening in late April. What the Lawsuit Is Seeking The three-count complaint accuses Amazon of unjust enrichment and violating Washington state's consumer-protection law.

It seeks restitution, a share of any refunds Amazon recovers from the government, treble damages, interest, legal fees, and injunctive relief. A jury trial has been requested. The case was filed by Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, which is also seeking class members who purchased imported products directly from Amazon between February 2025 and February 2026.

Amazon has not made any public statement on whethe