SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " TARIFFS " 802 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
The Quintessential Trump-era Politician
In 2020, I wrote an article about collaboration and collaborators. The title was History Will Judge the Complicit, and it started with the story of two famous East Germans, Markus Wolf and Wolfgang Leonhard, who both landed in East Berlin just after the end of the war. Although they came from very similar backgrounds, the former stuck with the regime, eventually becoming its spy boss; the latter, horrified by the brutal reality of Soviet-style communism, escaped. By way of juxtaposition, I also wrote about Lyndsey Graham and Mitt Romney. These two men also made very different decisions when confronted by Donald Trump’s assault on the ideals that they had both grown up believing: A glance at their biographies would not have led many to predict what happened next. On paper, Graham would have seemed, in 2016, like the man with deeper ties to the military, to the rule of law, and to an old-fashioned idea of American patriotism and American responsibility in the world. Romney, by contrast, with his shifts between the center and the right, with his multiple careers in business and politics, would have seemed less deeply attached to those same old-fashioned patriotic ideals. Most of us register soldiers as loyal patriots, and management consultants as self-interested. We assume people from small towns in South Carolina are more likely to resist political pressure than people who have lived in many places. Intuitively, we think that loyalty to a particular place implies loyalty to a set of values. But in this case the clichés were wrong. It was Graham who made excuses for Trump’s abuse of power. It was Graham—a JAG Corps lawyer—who downplayed the evidence that the president had attempted to manipulate foreign courts and blackmail a foreign leader into launching a phony investigation into a political rival. It was Graham who abandoned his own stated support for bipartisanship and instead pushed for a hyperpartisan Senate Judiciary Committee investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden’s son. It was Graham who played golf with Trump, who made excuses for him on television, who supported the president even as he slowly destroyed the American alliances—with Europeans, with the Kurds—that Graham had defended all his life. By contrast, it was Romney who, in February, became the only Republican senator to break ranks with his colleagues, voting to impeach the president. “Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office,” he said, is “perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one’s oath of office that I can imagine.” In the wake of Graham’s unexpected death on Saturday, I wrote about him again. He was, in many ways, the quintessential politician of Trump’s Washington, a man who shifted 180 degrees. Graham had been a fervent American patriot, proud reserve officer and military lawyer; he became one of the most important defenders of a president who believes soldiers are “suckers and losers” and shows no respect for law of any kind. As his politics changed, his language grew coarser and his behavior grew worse: He urged Israel to “level the place” in Gaza, and insulted the Danish prime minister in Munich, prompting a colleague, Senator Elissa Slotkin, to issue an apology. Here’s an excerpt from the article, which you can read in The Atlantic (gift link here) Like his close friend John McCain, Graham believed that America should stand at the center of a broad democratic alliance. The few times I met him were in that context, at the Munich Security Conference or at other European-American gatherings, which he once attended with great regularity. He also took seriously the practice of American democracy at home. In a 2014 conversation with The Atlantic, he described himself as a pragmatic politician who eschewed populist slogans. “I know Washington is broken, but what’s broken about it is everybody yelling and nobody trying to fix it,” he said. “I’m trying.” When Donald Trump first appeared in U.S. politics, Graham recognized him immediately for what he was: the spokesman for an alien ideology, one radically different from the idealistic patriotism that Graham had practiced and preached since childhood. Trump privately mocked the military that Graham loved as nothing but “suckers and losers.” He put falsehoods, cynicism, and personal greed at the center of his politics, while expressing disdain for transparency, accountability, and democracy itself. In 2015, Graham described Trump as a “race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot” who should “go to hell.” Also as a “nutjob.” When Trump won, Graham understood, as did so many others, that he would have to make some important choices. For a while, he went silent. In the spring of 2016, I saw him at one of those conferences in Europe. He seemed too depressed to speak. But then, like many other Republicans—and, more important, like many other people who have lived under political occupation or experienced radical regime change—he made the decision to abandon his previous ideals, to bury the patriotism that was once so important to him, and to become, instead, a loud, opportunistic collaborator. As I wrote in 2020, it’s very hard to look in to anyone’s heart and to understand their motivations from the outside. But it does seem that Graham had a deep need to be relevant, to be in the game, to be a player, at any cost. And that, rather than any particular achievement, is what he will be remembered for. Continuing to monitor conflicts of interest, ostentatious emoluments, outright corruption and policy changes that will facilitate outright corruption. (Read my original article, Kleptocracy Inc and check out the SNF Agora Institute chart) June 27 Trump diverted funds from more than 900 projects nationwide—including safety upgrades at national parks—to finance beautification projects around Washington, including $700,000 used to fix a White House walkway. June 28 After a years-long Department of Justice investigation into Abbott Laboratories over its management of a baby formula facility where potentially deadly bacteria turned up enough evidence to criminally charge the firm, top department officials instead opted for a financial penalty—illustrating the department’s move away from strict corporate enforcement under the Trump administration. June 29 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stacked the Defense Policy Board—which is charged with providing independent national security recommendations to the Office of the Secretary of Defense—with Trump allies, including tech billionaire Marc Andreessen, who has invested in defense contractors like OpenAI and SpaceX, after purging the panel last year. Trump purchased between $1 million and $5 million worth of stock in Axon—which makes about 90% of US tasers—two weeks before ICE solicited bids for a $220 million taser contract. The White House unveiled limited-edition US passports for America’s 250th birthday, featuring a portrait of Trump overlaid on the Declaration of Independence. June 30 Trump made around $1.2 billion from his various crypto companies last year, including more than $500 million from World Liberty Financial and $600 million from sales of his meme coin. Trump is considering issuing 250 pardons to commemorate America’s 250th birthday. These are expected to be largely doled out through the Office of the Pardon Attorney’s informal network of intermediaries. White-collar defense attorneys say they can typically win pardons for clients for $2 million. Last year, Trump administration officials awarded a no-bid contract worth up to $500 million to Clark Construction for the White House ballroom—negotiations in which the president was directly involved. July 1 The Amazon MGM Studios documentary about Melania Trump earned the First Lady more than $10 million. Trump made hundreds of individual stock purchases worth as much as $12.8 million the day before his announcement pausing “Liberation Day” tariffs for 90 days sent the S&P 500 soaring nearly 10%—one of the largest single-day gains ever. Mar-a-Lago and Trump National Doral saw record surges in revenue during Trump’s first year in office, earning $77.5 million and $121.9 million respectively, compared to average annual revenues of $25 million and $75 million during Trump’s first term. Entities across the Persian Gulf paid more than $300 million to Trump’s businesses last year, including $263 million from the sale of half his stake in World Liberty Financial to a firm backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a top UAE royal and brother of the country’s president. Kash Patel failed to properly disclose his stock purchase of a Department of Justice contractor, MicroStrategy, worth up to $250,000 last year, despite laws requiring disclosure within 45 days of the trade. July 2 Trump has been directing administration officials to steer more government contracts—so far worth more than $2.4 billion—to Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin aerospace firm, after Amazon gave $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, donated to the White House ballroom project, and reached a $40 million deal to license a Melania Trump documentary. Alongside the billions he made from cryptocurrency last year, Trump earned millions of dollars from real estate licensing fees, including $21 million from organizations in the UAE and $9.2 million in Saudi Arabia, along with smaller sums from merchandise sales, including $4.7 million from Trump Watches and $35,920 from 45 Guitar, a guitar brand endorsed by the president. House Democrats accused consultants tied to the Trump administration of financial fraud, alleging they gave prospective donors to America250—the bipartisan committee created by Congress to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial—the banking and routing numbers for Freedom 250, the White House’s fund for events like the UFC cage fight. Democrats also allege that Freedom 250’s CEO traveled to the World Economic Forum in Davos to solicit donations from foreign government officials and business leaders. The Trump administration’s proposed rollback of gun regulations would lift the prohibition on mailing handguns to individuals, a significant win for GrabAGun—the direct-to-consumer firearm retailer on whose board Donald Trump Jr. sits and in which he holds a 1.1% ownership stake. GrabAGun currently must rely on a middleman to transfer firearms to customers. Trump’s financial disclosure revealed that he made more than 21,000 securities trades during his first year back in office, growing his investment account to at least $858 million across stakes in around 1,600 companies, compared to the 13 total trades Joe Biden made during his entire presidency. July 4 Nearly 1 million people who bought the president’s meme coin—Trump Coin—collectively lost $3.8 billion on the token, while he walked away with $636 million. July 6 Shares of Dell closed up 4.4% after Trump recommended people buy the firm’s computers during a speech announcing the launch of Trump investment accounts for children, boosting the more than $1 million worth of shares the president owns in the company. July 9 Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh named crypto investor and Trump ally Marc Andreessen to a task force aimed at modernizing the Federal Reserve, including rethinking its approach to inflation—a key factor keeping interest rates elevated. Palm Beach International Airport has officially changed its name to Trump International Airport—a move that will require Florida to pay royalties to the president’s family for licensing his name. I was there a few months ago, during a trip to Barcelona. The sculptures were a revelation, I’d never seen so many together before. Each one has its own personality. Enjoy the good weather, if you are lucky enough to have it. History Will Judge the Complicit The Quintessential Politician Autocracy Inc Open Letters, from Anne Applebaum is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
Tariff refunds accelerated sharply in June as the US paid out almost $50 billion to businesses
The US sent out $49.1 billion in tariff refunds in June as the checks to businesses accelerated in the second full month of payouts after the US Supreme Court invalidated President Trump's blanket tariffs.
China-proofing European cleantech is a tricky business
Crude tariffs won’t be enough to promote EU renewable energy
Businesses brace for years of inflation as new costs pile up
Companies blame tariffs, energy prices and demand from AI data centers, raising concerns that inflation above the Fed’s target rate could persist.
Small-business owner paid thousands in tariffs, doesn't expect refunds
Marc Bowker, who sells comic books and action figures, says he paid thousands in tariff fees but doesn't expect to see any refunds.
Here's how Lindsey Graham influenced taxes, trade, and defense
Sen. Lindsey Graham served more than 30 years in Congress. The powerful lawmaker helped influence corporate tax, tariffs, and defense policy.
After a year of tariffs, automakers are still resistant to moving production to the US
Toyota announced last week it would do something other automakers have been reluctant to do – shift some production from Mexico to the United States.
What a Monopoly importer learned when it tried to make things in the U.S.A.
After getting hit with tariffs for the imported board games he sells, Jonathan Silva decided to see if he could produce a version of his Monopoly game in the United States. This is what he learned.
Why Small Businesses Aren’t Hiring: They Can’t Find Qualified Workers
Employers told the NFIB they're having trouble finding workers. But experts say economic conditions, including tariffs and fuel costs, may also be making them pickier.
New York Fed says many businesses are not finished raising prices to offset tariffs
Nearly half of firms that paid tariffs plan additional price increases, with some expecting to raise prices six months or more in the future, according to a new survey from the New York Federal Reserve.
Candidates for Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District make their case to Lexington business leaders
Ralph Alvarado and Zach Dembo squared off Tuesday on topics including tariffs, immigration and federal spending
Explaining The Comcast and NBCUniversal Divorce
(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) I hope everyone had a happy Fourth of July in America, celebrating the country’s 250th birthday. Frankly, I am bummed the 250th wasn’t a bigger celebration, but that’s a different topic for a different Substack. While it was generally a quiet week on the entertainment/streaming/media business fronts, we still had some interesting news stories. Actually, that kinda undersells one of the stories, a huge, huge, huge divestment that could upend the entertainment landscape... So let’s get right to it. In today’s column, I’ll cover Comcast spinning off the rest of NBCUniversal, an entertainment company investing in an LLM company and an LLM-owner investing in a movie studio, the latest round of threats of digital tariffs, and more. Let’s dive in. Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - Most: Comcast/NBCU Breakup!!!! If I had to describe my reaction to Comcast spinning out NBCUniversal, it feels like a relationship ending, either breaking up or divorcing. Comcast’s decision to spin off the rest of NBCUniversal, after spinning off some of its cable assets into Versant last year, really does feel like a family breaking up under “irreconcilable differences”. Of my stereotypes of the entertainment moguls, my go-to for Comcast CEO Brian Roberts—heir to the Comcast fortune, but a man who’s been at the helm for 24 years now, and president for twelve years before that—is that he likes building empires. He cut his teeth acquiring cable rivals in the 1990s and tried to buy Disney repeatedly, then settled for NBCUniversal after a long court battle. (Contrast this with Rupert Murdoch, a man who also loved to buy, but would also sell when the price is right. Murdoch made Fox out of nothing, but then sold 20th Century Fox to Disney, arguably at the top of the market. So I understood why he sold.) But I don’t understand Roberts’ motivation to sell now. I have some explanations but no single, super-satisfying explanation. Strategically, it would just make more sense to have kept NBCUniversal in-house, especially for a one-time empire builder like Comcast. Yet one powerful force—arguably the decider in modern capitalism—likely overwhelmed all other considerations. At first, I thought I’d arrange my thoughts as a “Five Why” analysis, digging through each layer of the puzzle. But instead, I found myself asking, “But…why?” (And I only ended up with four sections.) So let’s look at Comcast from that angle. Then, at the end, I’ll give my biggest strategic recommendation for every company in Hollywood. It’s obvious, but sometimes, the obvious strategy is the most ignored. But…Why? The Stock Market, Conglomerations, and Sum of the Parts Analysis We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… Why Comcast could never get a “tech company” valuation The not-so-secret motivation for Comcast What Versant has to do with all of this The key strategic advice I think every entertainment exec should follow (though it’s really obvious) Some big AI investment news… Whether we’ll see digital tariffs… And more… ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support.
As Washington preps for its largest fireworks display, cost questions arise
It is unclear where the fireworks were manufactured and how much the president's tariffs added to the cost
Fireworks stand owner says tariffs have impacted business
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A local fireworks stand saw fewer customers heading into the holiday weekend as tariffs continue to impact business. The owner of Boomerz Fireworks on Marketplace Drive said tariffs have affected their business. The Supreme Court struck down global tariffs in February, but fireworks stands are feeling the impact this year because many […]
Bonus 236: A Term of Self-Inflicted Wounds
Within minutes of the Supreme Court handing down the birthright citizenship ruling on Tuesday and rising for its summer recess, its defenders were pointing to that decision (alongside the late-arriving mail-in ballots ruling on Monday and the tariffs ruling from February) as decisive proof that the Court really is “above politics,” and that criticisms of the justices for behaving more like politicians in robes than like judges are thus unfair. For a particularly thoughtful version of this claim, see Professor Will Baude’s opening response to the latest New York Times written roundtable about the Court with Baude, Professor Kate Shaw, and me. In that roundtable, I already offered one of the two major arguments against this thesis—that it’s an assessment of the numerator without regard to the denominator, and that a full account of the Court’s behavior throughout OT2025 suggests that the Court behaved even more politically during the current term than during even the previous (highly politicized) one. Just to take one of many data points, last term (OT2024), there were six rulings in argued cases in which all six Republican-appointed justices were in the majority and all three of the Democratic appointees were in dissent (along with a slew of such rulings on the emergency docket). This term, there were … 13. (Along with two 6-3 summary reversals and 10 rulings on the emergency docket from which the three Democratic appointees all dissented.) Today’s bonus issue addresses the flip side of that coin. In particular, below the fold, I identify four different moments in which the justices could have acted in ways to specifically defuse charges of political behavior—and opted instead to lean all the way in. As much as end-of-term narratives focus on what the Court did, and on the takeaways from individual rulings, consider today’s post an attempt to identify opportunities that the Court missed, as well. At least in the examples discussed below, by opting for the outcome that made the Court look more transparently political, the Court inflicted a series of (unnecessary) credibility wounds on itself. For those who aren’t paid subscribers, we’ll be back Monday with our regular coverage of the Court. For those who are, please read on.
Tariff refunds landing for Colorado importers, though not without a cost for small business
At least $23.7B in refunds from unlawful tariffs have been refunded to U.S. importers out of an estimated $166B owed, according to court testimony
Bayer shifts US glyphosate business to Ruveon after seeking tariffs on Chinese imports
Bayer said on Wednesday it is consolidating its U.S. glyphosate business into its Ruveon unit, a day after it asked Washington to impose duties on Chinese imports of the chemical used in the company's weedkiller Roundup.
In loss for Trump, Supreme Court keeps Lisa Cook at the Fed
The decision was a loss for Trump at the Supreme Court, which previously rejected the sweeping tariffs that were at the center of his economic policy.
These Michigan businesses are finding a silver lining with tariffs
Resale and salvage retailers are taking advantage of a circular, domestic supply chain as shoppers shift to bargain-hunting and buying local.
Resale boutique thrives amid tariffs
At Le Shoppe Modern in Keego Harbor, shoppers can browse art, vintage pottery, lamps, furniture and more at prices ranging from $50 to $500,000.
Tariffs continue to add uncertainty to business climate: Top Workplaces 2026
Companies like Gardiner HVAC in Solon are navigating fluctuating prices and supply chain disruptions as tariff policy remains volatile more than a year after implementation.
Roy Cooper brings 'Make Stuff Cost Less' tour to Asheville, targets health costs, tariffs
Former North Carolina Governor and U.S. Senate candidate Roy Cooper brought his "Make Stuff Cost Less" tour to Asheville on Friday.
Trump threatens 100% tariffs on Europe if countries tax digital services
He added that the new tax would supersede any previously negotiated trade deals
UK food and drink exports fall as US tariffs and Brexit trade friction bites
Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news
Bourbon reps push for tariff reduction ahead of trade talks with India
Liquor industry leaders want U.S.-India trade talks to further reduce tariffs on spirits, including bourbon, to boost exports.
The U.S. Economy Is Leaving Small Businesses Behind
Small businesses say relentless pressures from tariffs and higher energy prices have sapped their resilience and finances.
Politics in the logistics mix: How tariffs and polarization alter corporate supply chains
How do political ideology and perceived ideological alignment influence supply chain professionals' evaluation of operational decisions involving politically charged macroeconomic issues such as tariffs?
Economic Check-In: How rising fuel costs, tariffs are impacting American Science & Surplus
American Science & Surplus is a beloved Milwaukee store that nearly closed last year. Now under employee ownership, the store’s new owner shares how they’re operating the business during economic hardships.
Trump threatens 100% tariff on French wines over digital services tax before G7 summit
President Donald Trump warns France of 100% tariffs on wine and champagne if Macron does not drop the 3% digital services tax on American technology companies.
Me, worry? For US small businesses, Trump’s tariffs are now a non-issue
A year ago it was the hot topic, but business owners have seen there’s a limit to the president’s royal decrees
Hilo business closes storefront amid rising prices
A survey of Hawaiʻi businesses revealed that tariffs and trade policies have affected 86% of local businesses in the last year.
In roundtable, Eugene and Springfield business leaders raise concern about federal policies economic impact
Several business owners at the roundtable, convened by Oregon Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley, said customers are spending less. Merkley said higher prices are linked to tariffs, inflation and the Iran war.
How small businesses are reading the economy right now
Tariffs, fraud, and cautious optimism.
Broad new tariffs renew uncertainty for business, trading partners
The Trump administration is proposing new tariffs of at least 10% on dozens of trading partners in a renewed effort to rebuild the president’s tariff agenda.
Broad new tariffs renew uncertainty for business, trading partners
The Trump administration is proposing new tariffs of at least 10% on dozens of trading partners in a renewed effort to rebuild the president’s tariff agenda.
Reps. Mejia, Cleaver Demand Trump Administration Automatically Refund Illegal Tariffs Collected from U.S. Small Businesses and Provide Refunds to American Consumers
Reps. Mejia, Cleaver Demand Trump Administration Automatically Refund Illegal Tariffs Collected from U.S. Small Businesses and Provide Refunds to American Consumers Washington D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Analilia Mejia (D-NJ) and Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) led dozens of lawmakers in demanding the Trump administration make consumers eligible for tariff refunds and implement an automatic refund[...]
As Corporate Profits Surge, America’s Small Businesses Get Left Behind
Between Trump tariffs, rising gas prices and labor supply shocks, Main Street businesses are seeing declining profits and slower hiring. Is uncertainty their new normal?
Trump Targets Brazil with 25% Tariff, Citing Unfair Trade Practices
The proposal marks the latest effort by the administration to rebuild its tariff agenda through Section 301 investigations.
Why a Chinese-owned company is bringing factory jobs back to the U.S.
GE Appliances is a poster child for the president’s promised manufacturing revival. But tariffs are making it harder to onshore jobs.
China Is Exporting Its Factories Across the World and Spooking the Competition
Faced with higher Western tariffs and weak demand at home, many Chinese factories are moving abroad.
'Business as usual': Fakes, piracy thrive in Vietnam as US tariff deadline nears
At a sprawling bazaar on the outskirts of Vietnam's capital, the trade in counterfeit goods is bustling despite government crackdowns and the threat of U.S. tariffs over the issue, two visits by Reuters journalists to the market found.
'It's insulting.' Why some Canadians are avoiding the US
Canadians continue to shift their focus away from the U.S. as a top travel destination, but some continue to visit.
Tariff refunds may evade small businesses in Michigan
Small Michigan businesses face losses as tariff refunds go to importers of record instead of retailers.
Rash: DEED ‘Choose Minnesota’ campaign to boost small businesses
The initiative comes as Operation Metro Surge, tariffs and the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran challenge this backbone of the state’s economy and society, columnist John Rash writes.
Small businesses are facing hurdles getting US tariff refunds
Businesses want refunds on Donald Trump's tariffs. Lost passwords and misclassified customs entries are holding them up.
Portland businesses hit hard by tariffs await refunds months after Supreme Court ruling
In February, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down tariffs imposed by President Trump under a 50-year-old statute. We hear from two CEOs in Portland about the impact the tariffs have had on their small businesses and the refunds they have applied for and are hoping to get.
Senate Small Business Hearing Suggests Some Tariff Wariness - Coalition For A Prosperous America
A Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship hearing held last week had only one manufacturer serving as a witness. He liked the tariffs because they stopped the bloodletting of cheaper imitations from China. However, he told the Senate that changes could be made to existing tariff policy to help lower costs as commodity and other input prices are rising fast.
Auto suppliers push for USMCA renewal as tariffs jolt business
Manufacturers are paying close attention to how the rules of North American trade will be rewritten yet again.
Tariffs, tourism backlash threaten to unravel beloved Bellingham business
Latest PS5 Lawsuit Claims Sony Could 'Double Dip' on Trump's Tariffs
Aw sh*t, here we go again
Now What? With Carbon Pricing Eroded and Pipeline Politics Advancing, Here Are the Pathways for Climate Success
At the end of a whirlwind week of news on carbon pricing and electricity strategy, capping a madcap year of pretty much non-stop, dramatic change, the word across much of Canada’s climate and energy transition community is that climate policy in this country has been shredded. Eviscerated. Hit with a sledgehammer by policy rollbacks that have pushed the country’s 2050 net zero target “well out of reach”. That means it’s never been more important to look for the rays of hope and glimmers of possibility. To glimpse the seeds of the next set of strategies to get Canada’s climate pollution under control and the country into the accelerating global dash away from fossil fuels. And then, once we’ve spotted those possibilities, get on with the hard, day-to-day slog of trying to make them a reality. Nothing takes away from the frustration and the deep disappointment so many climate and energy hawks are expressing, the sense of betrayal by the author of Value(s) and the former UN special envoy for climate action and finance. But we knew two things as the week drew to a close. We’re looking at the world as it most definitely is. And we don’t get to give up finding the pathways to confront climate change and deliver faster, deeper carbon cuts that leave no one else behind. So really, the first question we all have to ask ourselves is: What’s next? Subscribe All the Oxygen in the Room The outpouring of anger and grief over the carbon pricing deal between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been absolutely understandable. So much of the climate community poured years, more than a decade, into dragging the current federal pricing regime across the finish line, then defending it from a deluge of three-syllable rhymes after the Trudeau government proved utterly incapable of delivering its own message. The policy foisted on us by neo-classical economists took up all the oxygen in the room, burned through years of climate response time that we won’t get back, while cornering climate hawks into the position that the best response to the crisis of our lifetimes is a new tax…in an era of historic anti-tax sentiment. I mean, really—what could possibly have gone wrong? Against that history, let’s appreciate columnist Max Fawcett’s point that even a modest carbon pricing agreement with a government as off-the-wall libertarian/conspiracist as Danielle Smith’s—those adjectives are mine, not Max’s—is a win worth savouring (as long as Smith keeps her promises for a change). But part of living in the world as it is (no, I’m not letting that go) is to be clear-headed about what we can and can’t control. And one thing we get to decide, after seeing this week’s carbon price festivities take up all the oxygen yet again, is whether we want to keep letting that happen. Particularly when success down that road depends on a factor that no one with a climate agenda can control or influence—a provincial carbon pricing mechanism that has been manipulated and eroded beyond its lowest possible denominator. Thankfully, that’s not the way it has to go. Not when we have so many other powerful, practical tools at our disposal, including the ones still available to us through this abominable Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Canada and Alberta. Tools In Our Toolbox When I started roughing out this list, I didn’t expect it to grow to nearly a dozen bullet points. It’s probably still incomplete. Some of the greatest hits in today’s climate solutions toolbox include: • No Carbon Capture, No Pipeline: On Friday, Prime Minister Mark Carney explicitly stated that there’s been no change to the MOU provision that there will be no West Coast pipeline without an industry commitment to build its massive, $16.5-billion carbon capture and storage (CCUS) hub in Northern Alberta, and vice versa. The two megaprojects were joined at the hip when the MOU was signed Nov. 27, and the implementation agreement this week affirmed that they still are. A parade of independent analysts have spent years pointing to the economic and technical flaws in CCUS, while the industry kept postponing its investment decision until it could arm-twist the government for more “clarity” (by which it meant even more lavish taxpayer subsidies) on the project. Now the industry itself is running away from the CCUS hub and insisting the pipeline should proceed without it, but Carney doesn’t seem to be budging from a central tenet of the MOU to which Smith has signed on. • No Subsidies, No Investors: Climate analysts and advocates have quite rightly been hammering away at Carney and his team, insisting that any new capacity the industry wants to build must proceed without new subsidies. The government has responded with a growing collection of funding and financing mechanisms for the very wide menu of industrial development and nation-building projects they say they want to take on, and that menu always includes fossil fuel infrastructure. But it’s hard to see how even the combined fiscal clout of the federal and supportive provincial governments will deliver the financial backing private investors would need when the business case for new fossil fuel development is evaporating before their eyes. Particularly when… • No Market, No Demand, No Investors: As our friend Markham Hislop at Energi Media (our apparently sleepless friend, given the massive volume of great material he’s been churning out) points out this morning, the biggest vulnerability in any pipeline deal is the assumption that Asian buyers will want the oil or liquefied natural ga that our fossil industry is so keen to send them. Hislop writes in part: Ottawa and Alberta are effectively betting that countries like China and India will continue increasing oil imports for decades as their economies grow and energy consumption rises. That assumption underpins the entire economic rationale for expanding oil sands production and building billions of dollars in new export infrastructure. But Asian energy systems are changing rapidly… China, India, South Korea, and other major hydrocarbon importers are now investing hundreds of billions of dollars into electricity systems built around wind, solar, batteries, nuclear, hydro, and expanded transmission infrastructure. Domestic “energy sovereignty” is increasingly replacing the old energy-security model based on stable oil and gas imports. Those investments are expected to sharply slow oil demand growth and eventually reverse it, even as overall energy consumption continues rising. There are also refining constraints. Many Asian refineries and petrochemical complexes are already optimized to process discounted heavy crude from the Middle East and Latin America. That raises serious questions about how much additional Canadian bitumen Asian markets can absorb at profitable prices. Small wonder that there’s still no private sector investor for the project, despite Smith’s government desperately beating the bushes to put together a deal. For now, Alberta is acting as proponent and covering early start-up costs for a pitch to the federal Major Projects Office, which could actually turn into the next tough hurdle for Smith and her pipeline to jump. • Canada Day Looms: How ironic that Canada’s birthday this year could become a major chokepoint for the provincial premier who’s been working so diligently to tear the country apart! The July 1 target date for Alberta’s pipeline proposal is baked into the MOU, was reaffirmed by the implementation plan, but it hadn’t dawned on me that it cuts both ways. As one very smart colleague wrote in an email yesterday, “they’ve thrown the ball into Alberta’s court to get the project proposal on the table really quickly and to have to do a whole pile of work to put together a massive, complicated project that would typically take years to assemble, and they’ve given them weeks to do it.” That makes July 1 a looming deadline that Smith won’t be able to run away from politically, especially with the separatists in her party and her caucus breathing down her neck. (See previous ref to off-the-wall.) But if Alberta comes in with a sloppy, incomplete submission, even after Carney bent over backwards to simplify the application process and the rules that govern it, it may be harder for the province or the industry to blame Ottawa and insist on the faster process they claim their investors are demanding. (Oh, wait—which investors would those be??) • We’ll See You In Court (Then We’ll See You Again): If Carney did cave, that would be just one more reason for Indigenous and other affected communities to take the government and the process to court—Just as Alberta First Nations did, successfully, in response to Smith’s half-baked separation referendum. Veterans of the Harper era have been warning that a shoddy process around fossil fuel infrastructure or other major projects will be a recipe for the very delays that process seeks to avoid. And now more than ever, with renewable energy and energy storage eating fossil fuels’ lunch in import markets around the world, a delayed pipeline or LNG terminal may be as good as a cancelled one. • Charged Up, Ready to Go: With its goal of doubling Canada’s electricity supply to meet a doubling of demand by 2050, the national electricity strategy that Carney unveiled Thursday has a lot to like. With its explicit language about speeding the shift from fuels to more efficient and affordable electricity, global investment and deployment patterns that already favour that shift, an emerging bidirectional power grid, the role of front-line options like rooftop solar and heat pumps, the emergence of electric vehicles as behind-the-meter energy storage, and the domestic jobs and manufacturing to make it all happen, the document doubles down on the essential cornerstone of a faster shift off fossil fuels. The strategy envisions a more prominent role for gas and nuclear power. But some of those provisions were already in the Clean Electricity Regulations that climate hawks are now fighting so hard to defend, inserted as a compromise in a futile attempt to mollify the industry and its political representatives in Alberta and Saskatchewan. But once again, gas will be a tougher sell when it’s more expensive and now so much more unpredictable than the clean alternatives. The new nuclear technologies are still speculative and deeply vulnerable to cost overruns. Increasingly, utilities, developers, and investors know it. Carney declared Thursday that “it doesn’t do us good to be sitting in court all the time with provinces. It doesn’t do us good to be talking past each other. What does do us good is to come together with specific projects.” There are no guarantees, but so much of the language and narrative-building in the electricity strategy suggests the lion’s share of those projects will be renewable. • The Party Has Already Started: The electricity strategy only rarely digs down to specific projects, but provinces representing three-quarters of Canada’s population are already embracing a faster transition. Hydro-Québec is working on a 10-year, $185-billion renewable energy and grid buildout by 2035. Ontario recently brought 10 provinces and territories together in a National Energy Corridor Agreement to boost interprovincial and -territorial transmission infrastructure. And the MOU implementation agreement commits Alberta to facilitate investment in renewable energy projects, a big step back from its continuing, punitive restrictions on renewables development. The electricity strategy envisions much of the financing and infrastructure that will be needed to pull those advances together into an integrated whole. • Delivering on Affordability: The MOU implementation plan has little or nothing to say about affordability (are you surprised?), but the electricity strategy does, with a top-line pledge to reduce home energy costs for seven out of 10 Canadian households by 2050, a total saving of $15 billion across the board. It’s just a start, but it puts affordability on the government’s narrative map. If they’re serious and deliberate about patching together a least-cost energy strategy, it’ll have little if any room for oil, gas, or nuclear—not with powerful evidence, for example, that electricity prices are higher when those prices are set by gas. • Smith Proves that Canada Works: By signing a deal that makes it harder to claim the federal government is blocking a new pipeline, Smith has helped prove Carney’s constant anti-separatist refrain that “Canada works”—incurring the rage, no doubt, of her own political base. Canada also needs to work for anyone who depends on a clean environment, healthy and thriving ecosystems, and safe, stable climate. But with Smith and her separatist constituents setting up as a fifth column for annexation by Donald Trump’s United States, let’s set aside any notion that 51st state status for Canada is a recipe for anything other than climate disaster (and so much else). Resisting and withstanding Trump (just 170 more sleeps until mid-term elections, which is a damn sight better than the 730 we started with) doesn’t mean a free pass for a pipeline, but we can still appreciate it that keeping Canada whole and sovereign is still Carney’s Job One. • The Words Not Spoken: Apart from a commitment to export a million barrels of “low-emission” Alberta bitumen per day (memo to Smith and Carney: You realize that that’s less than the industry is already exporting??), the MOU implementation plan says nothing about the international trade and economic sovereignty deals that Carney has been travelling the world to negotiate. It didn’t have to. Carney doesn’t need permission from Danielle Smith, her American enablers, or her separatist allies to continue building the alliances that will ratchet down our economic dependency on our unstable, unreliable neighbour to the south. But every connection he builds with countries outside North America helps align our economy and our future with a faster shift off fossil fuels. Little if any of this was on our bingo cards a year or two ago. But it’s the pathway that has opened up to us. And if it gives Canada any climate or energy gains at all in an era still dominated by Trump and his increasingly ridiculous tariffs, his loutish trade negotiations and his continuing annexation threats, we have to take the wins. Not least because they’ll be the point of departure for what we can achieve in 2027, 2029, and beyond, as Trump’s grip and this era begin to loosen and then fade. What is Carney Doing? If this line of thought is right—and it’s a possibility, not a prediction—it means that Carney’s actions and decisions are largely about buying time. Time for Trump’s power to wane. Time for Alberta’s separatist/conspiracist virus to spread, mutate, die out, or at least die back, with help from a vaccine of federal steadiness and calm (appropriate enough, for a movement populated largely by vaccine deniers) that no conspiracy theory can dismiss. And time for the government’s trade and investment agenda to deliver results—even knowing that some of those results will bring impacts that front-line communities will not and should not accept. In the immediate moment, none of this changes the way the wider climate community has to respond, from campaigners to investors to front-line practitioners. All of our voices are still essential. But those voices will be stronger and more confident if we have a clearer sense of the brutal game we’ve been pulled into, and a plausible path (or two it three) for playing it to the win we need. This conversation also underscores our biggest task for the remaining years of what was supposed to be the “decisive” decade for climate response: if we can shift the energy narrative in Canada, make it a mainstream view that the country’s preoccupation with oil and gas has us falling farther behind a changing world, we’ll see far better results in the 2030s and beyond. For many veteran climate advocates, taking on that part of the fight will begin with recognizing that most of our friends and family, neighbours and colleagues already understand that climate change is real and right in front of us: they’re looking away and staying silent because they don’t have what climate communicator Katharine Hayhoe calls “efficacy”. As Hayhoe recently pointed out in a feature interview with The Energy Mix, it amounts to science denial to keep hammering away at the dire news about global warming without also helping audiences understand what they can do about it, with multiple studies telling us why that won’t work. Far better to open those conversations with the dominant crises like energy security, food security, emergency preparedness and business continuity, affordability, and financial security that have knocked climate change far lower on the list of public priorities, and will likely keep it there. We Knew This Would Happen Climate hawks have always known this day would come. For decades, we warned that everyone had to pay attention to climate change right now, because it would be much tougher to respond once the crisis itself started affecting our daily lives. We were right, and here we are. But now, thanks to decades of hard work, communities and countries have an alternative to doubling down on fossil fuels. “In 10 years everyone will have ‘always known’ that solar and batteries were going to win,” Morgan Solar Executive Chair Mike Andrade writes on LinkedIn. With the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz roiling energy priorities around the world, Canada and the United States are among the shrinking number of countries that are still very keen on fossil fuel development. Understanding that gap is a first, essential step in spotting the opportunities ahead, and averting the deep economic as well as environmental and social risk we face if we don’t seize them. Thanks for reading The Energy Mix Weekender! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work. Subscribe Mitchell Beer traces his background in renewable energy and energy efficiency back to 1977, in climate change to 1997. Now he and the rest of the Energy Mix team scan 1,200 news headlines a week to pull together The Energy Mix and The Energy Mix Weekender. Chart of the Week BYD Eyes 20 Dealership Locations After Canada Greenlights Chinese EV Imports ‘Sledgehammer’ Carbon Price Deal Boosts Emissions by 230Mt, Aims for Fall 2027 Pipeline Approval ‘Worse Than Harper’: Regulatory Rollback Would Stop Canada from Assessing Project Impacts, Critics Warn Electricity Strategy Aims for Doubling by 2050, Allows ‘Flexibility’ for Gas Power Plants Opposition Mounts as O’Leary’s Data Centre Approved in Drought-Stricken Utah Diluted Carbon Price Misses ‘Reality of the World We’re In’, Could Impede Diversified Trade: Climate Institute $200B in Clean Energy Investment Will Need On-Time Delivery, Reliable Policies, Trade Association Says ‘Sovereign Pipeline’: CEO Pitches to Keep Trans Mountain in Government Hands What a Supercharged El Niño Could Mean for Canada Canada’s future is electric, and here’s how a power grid superhighway would get us there (Toronto Star) The Perilous Waters of Hecate Strait (Globe and Mail) Saudi Aramco profits jump despite conflict in Middle East (The Guardian) Farmers confront rising cost of fertilizer and fuel as spring seeding under way (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) Clarkson forecasts 24% decline in offshore oil, gas capital expenditures (Oil & Gas Journal) Pipe Dreams: How Oil and Gas Fail to Deliver Economic Development in Africa (Oil Change International) Developing countries must hold the pen to script the fossil fuel transition (Climate Home News) Iran war threatens the dream of a post-oil economy in the Gulf (Washington Post) U.S. Oil, Gas Work Force Hits Lowest Level Since 2022 (Rigzone) Why Polestar Is Doubling Down on Net Zero as Rivals Pull Back on EVs (Bloomberg) Why this Michigan utility plans to sell its hydro dams for $13 (E&E News/Politico) Levees can no longer save New Orleans (Vox)
Consumers sue Amazon for not refunding Trump tariff costs
Amazon.com Inc was sued on Friday by consumers seeking refunds for costs passed on to them in the form of higher prices as a result of tariffs the U.S. Supreme Court later concluded had been unlawfully imposed by President Donald Trump.
U.S. businesses edge toward another $25 billion tariff refund
Federal courts questioning Trump-era tariffs, raising the possibility that U.S. importers could see a second round of refunds
Free the Economy podcast: Pension politics with Jarrett Skorup
In this week’s episode we cover more legal headaches for the Trump tariffs, keeping kids safe in an AI world, and California’s latest government boondoggle. Our guest this week is Jarrett Skorup, vice president for marketing and communications at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, Michigan. We talk about his latest study, “Unions […]
Trump to meet with Chinese leader Xi in Beijing today as trade, tariffs and Taiwan loom over visit
President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet in Beijing, a high-stakes summit as the two countries aim to stabilize their trading relationship and grapple with uncertainty over Iran.
Canadian-based company ceases operations; dozens of people laid off in Pennsylvania
The company said its financial position has worsened significantly since 2021, and that it had faced additional pressure since 2024 due to the imposition of tariffs by the U.S. government, post-pandemic reductions in consumer demand, increased competition from offshore competitors, and ongoing cash constraints.
Tariff Refunds in Michigan: State helping businesses recoup losses after high court ruling
The first refunds tied to Trump's overturned tariffs were issued on May 11.
Hear Congress candidates Nunn, Trone Garriott on immigration, tariffs
An uncontested primary election will set the stage for Iowa's highly targeted 3rd Congressional District race. Meet the candidates.
China says exports grew at faster pace in April, rising 14.1% from a year ago
China says exports have risen 14.1% in April from a year earlier, despite the Iran war and lingering impacts from higher U.S. tariffs.
The US in Brief: Another blow to Trump’s tariffs
Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter
Sony, PlayStation Chiefs Detail AI Vision Amid Tariffs, Memory Crunch
Sony Group CEO Totoki Hiroki and PlayStation chief Nishino Hideaki outline AI tools, a $50 million investment and geopolitical headwinds.
What the latest ruling on Trump’s tariffs could mean for businesses
A split ruling from the Court of International Trade on Thursday delivered President Trump another setback in his tariff agenda and could provide some businesses with a tariff holiday of sorts between now and the summer if the ruling stands up.
Federal court rules against Trump's new global tariffs
A federal court ruled Wednesday against the new global tariffs President Donald Trump imposed after a stinging loss at the Supreme Court.
In Las Vegas Arts District, Cortez Masto, Small Business Owners Shine Light on Trump Tourism Slowdown - Senator Catherine Cortez Masto
***VIDEO AVAILABLE*** FTPs for TV stations is available here. Las Vegas, Nev. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Las Vegas small business owners put a spotlight on the tourism slowdown caused by President Donald Trump’s economic policies. Over the past year, the Trump Administration has placed blanket tariffs on our allies, increased costs and made it more […]
Trump sets July 4 deadline for EU tariff hike decision
Trump claimed he had a 'great call' European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about the looming tariffs.
How tariffs and war are hurting California small businesses
Small business owners in San Diego and across California are feeling the pinch of President Donald Trump's tariffs and his war on Iran.
He recorded his quest for tariff refunds. It shows why billions may never get repaid
After the Supreme Court struck down most of President Trump's tariffs, Richard Brown began lining up the paperwork he needed to get his refund. Experts say many businesses may never get their money back.
Tariffs, Rebates, Chaos: Boutique Businesses Wonder What’s Next
A Brooklyn general store that sells Taiwanese imports was pummeled by tariffs. A rebate would help, but the confusion still lingers.
Colombia-Ecuador trade collapsing as tariff war intensifies, business groups say
RUMICHACA BRIDGE, Colombia/Ecuador, May 1 (Reuters) - The flow of goods between Colombia and Ecuador is drying up, industry groups on the South American countries' border say, as high tariffs resulti...
Here's when businesses will start getting refunds for Trump's IEEPA tariffs
Whisky tariffs deal sparks political squabble over who claims credit
Party leaders quickly changed their campaign plans after Donald Trump's announcement on the tariffs deal.
'Playing a waiting game:' Triangle small business owners hope to receive refunds from illegal tariffs
Last week, businesses began applying online for refunds to tariffs the U.S. Supreme Court deemed illegal earlier this year. However, small business owners in the Triangle who worked with brokers to import their goods say that they'll have to wait for their brokers to pass those refunds to them.
Businesses applying for tariff refunds after Supreme Court ruling
Businesses across the United States are now racing to recover billions of dollars in tariffs after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled those tariffs, which had been imposed under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act, were illegal.
Apple execs to talk China and tariffs, but will avoid discussing foldable iPhone, per bettors on Kalshi
Apple is set to report earnings after the bell on Thursday, with its conference call scheduled for 5:00 pm ET.
Long after 'Liberation Day,' D-FW businesses reckon with tariffs
Even after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled IEEPA tariffs illegal in February, the U.S. and North Texas will continue to live with the consequences of “Liberation Day” for much longer.
NEXE Innovations Reports Q3 2026 Results and Business Update
WINDSOR, Ontario, April 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NEXE Innovations Inc. ("NEXE", the "Company", "we", "us" or "our") (TSX.V: NEXE) (Frankfurt: NX5) (OTC: NEXNF), a compostable and innovative materials company, is pleased to announce its financial results for the three-month period ended February 28, 2026 ("Q3 2026"). The quarter reflects the seasonal softness typical of the North American coffee industry in the post-holiday period, and the negative impact of tariffs that were implemented post
Who was invited to dinner with King Charles: Justices, business leaders and Palm Beach friends
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted a white-tie dinner at the White House with King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Nearly 130 guests enjoyed Dover sole meunière and a beehive-shaped chocolate dessert on Tuesday night. The guest list included business leaders, tech CEOs and friends from Palm Beach, Florida. The six conservative justices on the Supreme Court also attended, despite Trump’s recent criticism over tariffs. Fox News stars and other conservative media figures were present, along with three of Trump’s children, his father-in-law, sports figures and lawmakers, including House and Senate leaders.
How tariffs and war are hurting California small businesses
Small California businesses — facing tariffs and rising fuel and shipping prices from war — wonder how long they can survive.
Regional businesses say Iran war, Trump tariffs are increasing prices, hurting the economy
The Middle East war and Trump's tariffs share some of the blame for a soft economic outlook, business leaders told the Cleveland Fed.
Louisiana’s industrial sector has never faced more crosscurrents
It has been a bipolar year for Louisiana’s industrial complex, reports 10/12 Industry Report in its spring issue. The elation over a tsunami of new investments, lower tax rates and softening regulations has been dampened in many ways by ever-changing tariffs, consistently high interest rates and across-the-board inflation. That’s causing the price tags of many […]
Politics & Power: Rising tariffs, gas prices squeeze small business margins across the South
Florida State University business analyst Wayne Hochwarter joins News4JAX anchor Bruce Hamilton on this week's episode of Politics & Power to discuss whether tariffs should be adjusted to shield small importers; what short‑term relief (tax credits, grants, fuel support) would help Main Street; and how state budgets should adapt to tourism and construction slowdowns.
Politics & Power: Rising tariffs, gas prices squeeze small business margins across the South
Florida State University business analyst Wayne Hochwarter joins News4JAX anchor Bruce Hamilton on this week's episode of Politics & Power to discuss whether tariffs should be adjusted to shield small importers; what short‑term relief (tax credits, grants, fuel support) would help Main Street; and how state budgets should adapt to tourism and construction slowdowns.
Use tariffs to pay for health reform
A former Trump health adviser proposes using tariff revenue to fund health care reform, shifting subsidies to patients and expanding HSAs.
Texas leads U.S. in business bankruptcies as filings rise
Inflation, tariffs and rising debt are driving a surge in commercial filings nationwide. One in six of all U.S. cases in the first quarter was filed in Texas.
UK urged to deploy EU-style ‘trade bazooka’ against Trump’s tariffs
‘Inadequate economic security’ is putting growth and jobs at risk, says British Chambers of Commerce
North Texas auto dealer Don Herring discusses the impact of tariffs on his business and customers
Herring said that in the year before tariffs, used car sales were just under half of his business at his dealership in Irving; Now, they are nearly 75 percent.
Small Oregon businesses are skeptical of Trump's tariff reimbursements
Small businesses in McMinnville Friday met with U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas to discuss the impact that tariffs have had on their business.
North Carolina businesses urged to use new portal for refunds after tariffs ruled illegal
North Carolina businesses impacted by the federal government's tariffs that were later ruled illegal are being urged to seek refunds through a new portal.
Poll: Most Americans believe Supreme Court avoids ruling against Trump
A new poll shows most Americans believe the Supreme Court avoids ruling against Donald Trump, despite a recent ruling against Trump's tariffs.
Gamers sue Nintendo over tariff refunds, saying consumers should get the money back
Two gamers have filed a class action lawsuit against Nintendo, alleging that the company will be unjustly enriching itself with any refund it secures from the U.S. government over widespread tariffs last year that, among other things, hiked the prices of Nintendo hardware and accessories. “Unless restrained by this Court, Nintendo stands to recover the same tariff payments twice—once from consumers through higher prices and again from the federal government through tariff refunds, including interest paid by the government on those funds,” the suit states. Nintendo sued the U.S. government to secure a tariff refund in March, after the Supreme Court struck down the tariffs a month prior, saying they were illegally implemented by President Donald Trump.. The gamers who have sued, California-based Gregory Hoffert and Washington-based Prashant Sharan, both say they purchased Nintendo goods that had increased in price due to tariffs, according to the complaint. They filed their suit in the Western District court of Nintendo of America’s home state of Washington and are seeking class action status to represent all people in the U.S. who purchased price-hiked Nintendo goods between February 1, 2025 and February 24, 2026. They allege that Nintendo’s recovery of any tariff refunds would constitute unjust enrichment and violate Washington state consumer protection law. Similar class action lawsuits pressing companies to pass on tariff refunds have been previously filed against FedEx, UPS and eyeglass importer EssilorLuxottica. The tariffs were announced in early April, and by mid-month, Nintendo had announced $5 price increases for controllers for the then-forthcoming Switch 2. In August, it raised the price of the original Switch. In their suit, the gamers cite comments from Nintendo executives connecting the tariffs to price increases. In May 2025, a month after the tariffs were imposed, Nintendo CEO Shuntaro Furukawa told investors “Our basic policy is that for any country or region, if tariffs are imposed, we recognize them as a part of the cost and incorporate them into the price.” Nintendo’s March lawsuit, along with tariff-recovery suits from hundreds of other companies was immediately put on hold pending the implementation of a refund system. The U.S. government announced the beginning of the refund process earlier this week. Companies could receive as much as $160 billion, per CNBC. In March 2026, after Nintendo filed its lawsuit to recover the cost of the tariffs, I asked the company if they planned to pass their refund on to customers who’d paid increased prices. The company’s response acknowledged the existence of the lawsuit but avoided answering that question: “We can confirm that we filed a request. We have nothing else to share on this topic.” Even a promise to consumers may not have spared Nintendo this week’s lawsuit. FedEx previously promised to pass its tariff refunds on to consumers. They’ve been sued over them anyway.
Small businesses weigh tariff refunds as application portal opens
At the English Gardener Gift Shop in Haddonfield, owners import groceries and treats from the United Kingdom. The shop reportedly paid about $32,000 in tariffs last year.
Ohio businesses rushing to apply for tariff refunds through newly opened portal
Hundreds of Ohio businesses are among those hoping to get a piece of the estimated $166 billion in tariffs that were collected unlawfully.
Wisconsin businesses could recoup millions paid in illegal tariffs
Importers that paid tariffs later struck down by the Supreme Court can now apply for refunds.
New York businesses can seek Trump tariff refunds; Hochul demands White House repay consumers $1,700 per household
New York businesses can now begin applying for refunds tied to President Donald Trump's tariffs that the U.S. Supreme Court found were imposed illegally,