Nintendo has officially filed a lawsuit against the United States government, demanding refunds on tariff duties it has been paying since February 2025. The case was filed on March 6 at the US Court of International Trade, two weeks after the Supreme Court deemed most of the Trump administration’s tariffs unconstitutional. With Chinese import duties going as high as 145%, the Switch 2 controllers and accessories already saw price hikes, while the console managed to hold at $449.
Nintendo is not the only company going after the government for these duties. Over 1,000 companies worldwide have made similar claims, and the total amount in question has gone past $200 billion. Customs and Border Protection reportedly has 45 days to set up a refund system, but Nintendo decided to file without waiting for that.
Nintendo Is Also Clashing With The White House Over ‘Pokémon’ IP
The tariff case is not the only issue Nintendo has with the current administration right now. On March 5, the White House posted a “Make America Great Again” image that used the ‘Pokopia‘ font from ‘Pokémon.‘ The Pokémon Company came out the very next day and said that no one asked them for permission. They also made it clear that their mission of bringing people together has nothing to do with politics.
Related: Trump Administration Criticized For Using Call Of Duty Footage To Promote Operation Epic Fury
What makes this whole situation more awkward is that Nintendo is naming White House officials directly in the tariff lawsuit. Secretaries Scott Bessent and Howard Lutnick are listed as defendants. Nintendo’s legal team is known for going after piracy rings and ROM sites, not the federal government. But the IEEPA duties kind of forced their hand on this one.
The Global DRAM Shortage Could Push The Switch 2 Price Even Higher
Apart from the tariff mess, there is a global DRAM shortage that could end up affecting the Switch 2’s price tag. RAM and SSD costs have been going up across the board, and it is already causing issues for consumer electronics production lines. Nintendo says they haven’t felt the hit yet, but Sony and Microsoft reportedly have. Both companies are said to be considering price bumps on their consoles.
In Case You Missed: GTA 6 leaker claims SNL’s Bobby Moynihan set to play Cal Hampton
If the shortage continues into the second half of 2026, even getting the tariff refund back won’t be enough to hold the Switch 2 at $449.99. Nintendo is getting pressure from the supply chain side on top of the tariff situation, and the next earnings report will pretty much tell us if the company can take the hit or if buyers are going to end up paying more.
