Adidas receiving tariff refunds after shoppers paid higher prices, new class action lawsuit alleges

On July 21, 2026, five consumers filed a class action lawsuit against Adidas America Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.

The lawsuit alleges Adidas raised retail prices to cover federal import tariffs the Supreme Court later struck down and now stands to collect a government refund of those same duties without repaying customers.

The tariffs and the price increases

Beginning in February 2025, President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders imposing tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. These tariffs reportedly reached as high as 25% on Canadian and Mexican goods and 145% on Chinese imports. Adidas sources 92% of its products from manufacturers in Asia, including 27% from Vietnam, according to the company's 2025 annual report. These countries also faced tariffs.

Adidas signed a letter to the president from the footwear industry warning the tariffs would bring "significant price increases," the complaint claims. Chief executive Bjorn Gulden announced the duties would add as much as €200 million in costs for the rest of that year and later told analysts the company had raised the price of the Samba sneaker from $90 to $100.

The plaintiffs allege Adidas passed those costs to customers through higher prices.

The Supreme Court ruling and refunds

On Feb. 20, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled the emergency powers law does not authorize the president to impose tariffs, voiding every tariff issued under it. The Court of International Trade then reportedly ordered U.S. Customs and Border Protection to process affected imports without the duties.

Customs collected roughly $165 billion under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and interest is accruing at about $650 million a month, the trade court estimated. Adidas sued the federal government in March 2026 seeking a refund, and Gulden has said the company is entitled to roughly $300 million, according to the lawsuit.

Under customs law, only the importer of record can seek a tariff refund, and consumers cannot bring claims in the Court of International Trade. Adidas has not made a legally binding commitment to return the surcharges to customers, the plaintiffs allege.

The legal claims

The plaintiffs bring five claims against Adidas:

  • Declaratory relief, asking the court to rule that Adidas has no right to keep the overcharges and must account for everything it collected
  • Unjust enrichment, claiming that a company should not keep a benefit it obtained unfairly
  • Money had and received, covering money that in fairness belongs to someone else
  • California's Unfair Competition Law, barring unlawful, unfair or fraudulent business practices
  • The Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, prohibiting unfair acts in trade and commerce

What the lawsuit means for Adidas customers

The proposed nationwide class covers everyone in the United States who bought Adidas goods after the company raised prices in response to the tariffs with separate subclasses for California and Illinois purchasers and combined claims exceeding $5 million. The plaintiffs ask the court to order restitution, a full accounting of the surcharges collected, disgorgement of any refund Adidas receives from the government, interest and attorney fees.

There is no settlement and no claims process as of filing. Adidas has not yet answered the complaint in court.