How a toy maker took on US tariffs

Owner: Not acting was not an option

- NICHOLAS P. BROWN ERIC COX

When Rick Woldenberg took the reins of his family’s toy business, Learning Resources Inc, nearly three decades ago, politics and litigation were not on his agenda. Then he became a central figure in one of the most significant US Supreme Court rulings of the last several years.

The court on Friday struck down President Donald Trump’s imposition of unprecedented tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, after a rash of importers, US state governments and others sued.

Illinois-based Learning Resources, which imports most of the educational toys it sells from China, was one of the first small businesses to bring a lawsuit against Trump's tariffs last April. Along with other importers, the company could now be entitled to a share of billions of dollars in refunds, although the Supreme Court did not decide how or when that may happen.

“My hope is that this ruling is an opportunity for everyone to take a breath and think about what is important and what needs to get done,’ Mr Woldenberg told Reuters on Friday.

The White House did not immediately comment on the ruling.