It has been a rough few years for technology shoppers. Even before the increased global tariffs were launched by the Trump administration last year, and the recent spike in RAM cost due to AI company buyouts; COVID-19 already strained production and distribution of semiconductors back in 2020. Not only have these events drastically raised the price of gaming hardware, but they’ve even resulted in full-on delays and shortages. Recently, for example, the launch and release of pricing information regarding Valve’s pre-built gaming PC the Steam Machine was pushed back. And right after that in late February of this year, the president of the U.S. once again raised tariffs worldwide–this time to a steep 15%. This follows the Supreme Court’s shutdown of Trump’s previous tariffs, which clearly did not stop the president from doubling down and replacing them with even higher rates. This seemingly spiteful maneuver may backfire on some of Trump’s appointees, as one of what could be several incoming lawsuits from tech giants has just landed. Nintendo of America has launched a lawsuit against the U.S. government in the Court of International trade demanding a refund from the last round of tariffs.

So far, as cited in the lawsuit, Trump’s tariffs that he launched last year on the almost satirically named “Liberation Day” have resulted in $200 billion in costs, and Nintendo wants to claw back their share of expenses. The lawsuit alleges that the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration were illegal. They claim that under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which served as the legal basis for the tariffs, it doesn’t give permission for the state to begin collecting duties, and that therefore, Nintendo is owed money. The IEEPA was invoked in part by president Trump because he alleged that countries like China and Mexico were failing to handle illicit trafficking and sending “illegal aliens” into America, thereby constituting a national security risk. The lawsuit asserts the Supreme Court’s recent rulings regarding last year’s tariffs support their side, but it remains to be seen how that will shake out. Theoretically, tariffs are a diplomatic tool often utilized to protect job security and the internal economic well-being of a country, but the Trump administration’s usage of them hasn’t seemed to prioritize those, and indeed has ruffled a lot of feathers both domestically and internationally. This also won’t be the first time that Nintendo’s brushed up against the Trump administration, as they’ve recently condemned the White House’s usage of Pokémon to promote their deportation agenda on X.