Nintendo started off 2026 by handing out DMCA notices to over a dozen Switch emulator creators, and their court business continues in March. This time around, though, they are going after the US government over tariffs. As revealed by Aftermath, Nintendo filed an official complaint with the US Court of International Trade to issue tariff refunds “with interest.”
Tariffs have been a big problem ever since they were imposed, forcing non-US manufacturers to mark up prices to maintain their previous profit ratios. This complaint that Nintendo just filed is a serious one, as it accuses several US government agencies of acquiring over $200 billion in tariffs on imports from other countries.
The Pricing Issues Continue
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Talking about tariffs, the Court of International Trade, and the Department of the Treasury (also mentioned in the complaint) is dipping its toes into politics a bit, but this is important. Whether we like it or not, these geopolitical issues do affect consumer prices. And obviously, this isn’t just about games or consoles; it applies to any products that go through the import prices.
Venable LLP, a Washington law firm, is representing Nintendo for this, and it argues that imposed tariffs were “unlawfully imposed.” The Supreme Court is trying to shut down Trump’s tariffs, going so far as to order US Customs to refund collected duties. This is likely why Nintendo has some sort of confidence with their complaint, and they are not the only ones. FedEx, Costco, Dyson, Hasbro, and hundreds of other companies are suing the federal government for the same reasons.
For some context, Nintendo consoles and accessories are manufactured in Vietnam and China, and the original tariff announcement back in April 2025 directly affected both countries. This is part of the reason why Switch 2 pre-orders were delayed, and accessories were priced higher. Nintendo even went as far as to raise prices for the original Switch family, including the Switch OLED ($50 increase) and the standard Switch ($40 increase).
With nearly 1,000 countries involved in these protests and complaints, there is bound to be some sort of action by the US government. We just don’t know whether it will be a positive outcome or a negative one yet.
Published: Mar 9, 2026 03:30 pm