Nike Tariff Refund Class Action Targets $986M in Expected Refunds

Quick Facts

• Case: Caldwell v. Nike, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-00923 (D. Or.)
• Filed: May 8, 2026
• Nike's expected tariff refunds: $986 million ($302 million received as of May 31, 2026)
• Class certified: Not yet
• MDL consolidation: Pending - Panel hearing December 3, 2026
• Status: Active litigation - no settlement, no claim form yet

Nike raised prices on some shoes and apparel as tariffs drove up its costs. Then the Supreme Court struck down those tariffs, and Nike now expects nearly $1 billion in refunds. Nike hasn't said whether shoppers will see any of it. A federal class action says Nike shouldn't keep refunds for tariff costs it already passed on to customers.

What Is This Lawsuit About?

Starting in June 2025, Nike raised prices on some footwear by $5 to $10 and some apparel by $2 to $10, increases the lawsuit describes as "surgical." Nike has said it paid about $1 billion in tariffs on imported goods under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

Consumers paid those higher prices through the back half of 2025 and into early 2026. Then, on February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled that IEEPA didn't give the president authority to impose those tariffs, opening the door to refunds for importers. In its fiscal 2026 results, Nike said it expected to recover $986 million in IEEPA tariff refunds - $302 million received as of May 31, 2026, with the remaining $684 million recorded as an outstanding receivable.

Plaintiffs filed Caldwell v. Nike, Inc. (No. 3:26-cv-00923) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon on May 8, 2026. The complaint argues that "Nike stands to recover the same tariff payments twice" - once from shoppers and once from the government - and that the company would be unjustly enriched as a result.

Who Could Be Part of the Class?

No class has been certified yet - that determination is up to the court. The complaint proposes a nationwide class of consumers who bought Nike products on which Nike raised prices between June 1, 2025, and February 24, 2026. If you bought those products in that window, you could potentially be included if a class is certified.

Nike isn't alone. Plaintiffs suing retailers including Amazon, Costco, Target, Walmart, Adidas and Nike have asked the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to centralize more than 20 tariff refund lawsuits, including the Nike case, as MDL No. 3202 in the Northern District of Illinois. The Panel's next scheduled session is December 3, 2026, in New Orleans, where the request is set for oral argument. Several retailers, including Amazon, Costco and Walmart, have opposed centralization. Separately, the Panel centralized six Amazon tariff refund suits in Seattle on October 2, 2026.

What Could Affected Shoppers Recover?

Nothing is set yet - no settlement exists, and no court has ruled that a retailer owes consumers any portion of tariff refunds. That legal question is entirely new. The outcome will depend on how courts interpret unjust enrichment claims in this context.

If the litigation succeeds, affected consumers could share in a portion of Nike's tariff refunds. Distribution would be determined during any settlement or verdict phase. Cases this novel typically take years. Don't expect a check anytime soon.

What Should Nike Shoppers Do Now?

There's no claim form and no action required right now. Keep receipts for Nike purchases you made between June 2025 and February 2026 - documented purchase history could matter during any future claims process. Watch for updates around the December 2026 MDL Panel hearing.

ClaimActions.com will update this article as litigation develops.

Sources: JPML December 2026 Hearing Session Order; Fox Business; Reuters; Fortune; Caldwell v. Nike, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-00923 (D. Or., filed May 8, 2026)