L’Oréal, Sol de Janeiro and Dyson are among businesses suing for refunds over costs paid towards US President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes in 2025.
The beauty and technology companies join thousands of businesses seeking refunds, following a ruling by the US Supreme Court in which judges said the previous tariffs imposed by Trump under emergency powers were unlawful.
Trump’s tariffs were announced in April 2025 as part of his so-called ‘Liberation Day’ and implemented from August last year.
The levies, introduced under the Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977, were set by Trump at various levels for different countries and items.
Countries such as the UK and China agreed reciprocal deals with the President.
Complaints were filed with the US Court of International Trade on 23 February 2026, with L'Oreéal specifically bringing the case forward under its Travel Retail Americas division.
This dedicated division specialises in beauty products sold in travel environments, such as airports, airlines and cruise lines.
The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Rodney S. Scott, Commissioner of CBP, and the United States of America, have been named as defendants, according to court documents.
Reversing the IEEPA tariffs will generate up to US$175bn in refunds, according to economists at the Penn Wharton Budget Model – a nonpartisan, research-based initiative.
L’Oréal Travel Retail Americas, Sol de Janeiro and Dyson did not specify the specific refund amount they are seeking in the court documents.
Following the US Supreme Court’s ruling, Trump imposed a new global tariff of 10% on imports into the country, and said he intends to raise this to 15%.
For some countries, the new levy is higher than previously agreed tariffs, including the UK; for others, it is lower, such as China and Brazil.
The global market and industries across the globe were shaken by the sweeping tax hikes.
This included beauty, with brands and manufacturers scrambling to control the situation by increasing the prices of beauty goods.
E.l.f. Beauty was among the most recent brands to raise prices in response to Trump’s global tariff hikes last year.
Skin care brand Naturium, meanwhile, raised prices on its goods in the US and the UK on 1 August.
Earlier in May, Glow Recipe joined the growing roster of brands upping product costs, and The Inkey List also raised prices on its products in the US in May last year.
Cosmetics Business has contacted L’Oréal, Sol de Janeiro, Dyson, CBP and The White House for comment.
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