Consumer Tariff Refund Class Actions Surge: Key Defense Guidance for In-House Counsel
In-house counsel for consumer-facing businesses that passed U.S. tariff costs to customers must act, as a growing wave of class actions seeks refunds for those price hikes, creating material litigation and reputational risk.
The publication analyzes a recent surge in consumer class actions targeting companies that passed U.S. tariff costs on to end purchasers, with plaintiffs seeking full refunds of all tariff-related price increases. It breaks down common plaintiff legal theories, including deceptive trade practice claims tied to undisclosed tariff surcharges, and provides actionable defense guidance for in-house counsel, including recommendations to audit past pricing disclosures, evaluate class settlement frameworks, and revise future tariff pass-through communication practices to reduce litigation exposure.