US customers have launched a proposed class motion in opposition to Amazon in federal court docket in Seattle, claiming the retailer unlawfully handed on tariff prices totalling tons of of tens of millions of {dollars}.
The criticism was filed by two customers from Maryland and Massachusetts and considerations purchases made between 4 February 2025 and 20 February 2026.
This era spans from when tariffs have been imposed below the Worldwide Emergency Financial Powers Act (IEEPA) to the US Supreme Court docket’s ruling that the regulation didn’t give President Donald Trump authority to impose them.
Plaintiffs allege that Amazon, appearing as importer of document for items bought by way of its on-line retailer, embedded IEEPA tariff prices in shopper costs moderately than absorbing them.
Following the Supreme Court docket’s determination, the Court docket of Worldwide Commerce confirmed on 4 March 2026 that the suitable to reclaim these duties from the federal authorities rests solely with importers of document.
The swimsuit alleges Amazon has chosen to not pursue that restoration.
The criticism attributes that call to political concerns, citing a reported dialog between President Trump and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, after which the previous publicly said he would “keep in mind” firms that didn’t search refunds.
Pricing knowledge cited within the swimsuit factors to a Wall Avenue Journal evaluation of two,500 Amazon merchandise, which discovered that round 1,200 low-cost gadgets rose in value by a median of 5.2% between January and July 2025.
Over that very same interval, Walmart diminished costs on the identical merchandise by almost 2%.
A separate overview of greater than 1,400 Chinese language-made merchandise bought on Amazon confirmed a median value rise of two.6% between January and mid-June 2025.
The Price range Lab at Yale College discovered that tariffs drove roughly 86% of the rise in costs for imported family items as much as January 2026.
It’s also estimated that from February 2025 to January 2026, US customers paid greater than $231bn in tariff-related prices, or roughly $1,745 per family.
US Customs and Border Safety estimated whole IEEPA duties collected at roughly $166bn as of 4 March 2026.
The three-count lawsuit seeks restitution, a share of any refunds Amazon recovers, treble damages, curiosity, authorized charges, and injunctive aid.
A jury trial has been requested.
Retail Perception Community has reached out to Amazon for remark.
The motion comes a month after the corporate confronted separate allegations in California that it colluded with suppliers and rival retailers to push costs greater moderately than compete on price.
That case alleged the corporate pressured suppliers to lift costs on competing platforms or pull their merchandise from these websites fully.
