Monday, September 7, 2026
The FOS App is Live Download It Now
Law

Sportswear Companies Big Winners of Trump’s Supreme Court Tariff Loss

Nike, Adidas, and On rely on Asian manufacturing partners for the bulk of their goods, and they have had to absorb the cost of higher tariffs, pass them onto consumers, or both.

Feb 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; A Nike All Star 2026 display at Nike The Grove.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Shares of sportswear and retail companies including Adidas, Nike, and Deckers shot up Friday morning after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs.

Voting 6–3 in the case brought by a company called Learning Resources, Inc. against the president, the court said Trump exceeded his authority by invoking a federal emergency-powers law to impose “reciprocal” tariffs as well as import taxes the administration says is meant to prevent fentanyl trafficking. 

On Friday morning, shares of Adidas jumped more than 2%; Deckers Outdoor, which owns the Hoka brand, was up 2.3%; Under Armour rose more than 2%; On climbed 1.5%; and shares of Puma and Nike increased less than 1%. The broad market S&P 500 index was up 0.6%.

In a press conference Friday afternoon at the White House Trump told reporters he would impose an additional across-the-board global 10% tariff and said he has “great alternatives” for implementing more duties on imports. 

Countries including Vietnam, Cambodia, and Bangladesh are vital manufacturing centers for global retail companies. For example, for fiscal 2024, factories in Vietnam, Indonesia, and China manufactured approximately 50%, 27%, and 18% of total Nike footwear, respectively. Lululemon also counts Vietnam as its top supplier. As of 2023, 42% of its products were made there, with 16% manufactured in Cambodia, 11% in Sri Lanka, 10% in Indonesia, and 8% in Bangladesh, and the remainder in other regions. All of Under Armour’s footwear products were manufactured by “nine primary contract manufacturers, operating primarily in Vietnam, Indonesia, and China,” in 2024.

Vietnam is also the top supplier for Amer Sports, which owns several outdoor brands including Salomon, Arc’teryx, and tennis racket and ball maker Wilson. China accounts for nearly 30% of Amer’s global sourcing, while Vietnam makes up 39% (Canada and Mexico account for less than 1%).

Nike, On, Under Armour, and Callaway, like many other companies importing goods into the U.S., have raised prices on their products in response to tariffs and/or absorbed some of the higher costs. And a report this month by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that in 2025, the average tariff rate on U.S. imports increased from 2.6% to 13%, and that nearly 90% of the tariffs’ economic burden fell on U.S. businesses and consumers.

Tariffs Beyond Trump’s ‘Legitimate Reach’

In 2025 the Trump Administration imposed tariffs on trading partners using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) as justification. The White House’s executive order declared a “national emergency arising from conditions reflected in large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficit.” On April 2, 2025, Trump announced a baseline 10% minimum tariff on U.S. imports from all countries, as well as “reciprocal tariffs” on goods from 29 trading partners, including major manufacturing hubs for multinational retail companies. 

Shares of retail companies—many of which predominantly source their manufacturing of apparel, shoes, and other products in Asia—sank following the news. 

Before reaching the high court, the tariffs were ruled unlawful by three different lower courts, including a specialized federal appeals court of national jurisdiction that said IEEPA didn’t authorize tariffs of the scale Trump imposed.

In its ruling the court wrote that “the Government reads IEEPA to give the President power to unilaterally impose unbounded tariffs and change them at will. That view would represent a transformative expansion of the President’s authority over tariff policy. It is also telling that in IEEPA’s half century of existence, no President has invoked the statute to impose any tariffs, let alone tariffs of this magnitude and scope. That ‘lack of historical precedent,’ coupled with the ‘breadth of authority’ that the President now claims, suggests that the tariffs extend beyond the President’s ‘legitimate reach.’”

In Friday’s decision, Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh dissented.

The court did not address the extent to which importers were now entitled to refunds. This will be a matter of lower courts again. “The US Court of International Trade will ultimately manage that process, and refunds won’t come automatically, as any importer that wants its money back must sue individually. This process has already kicked off, with over 1,000 corporate entities now involved in a legal fight,” ING analysts wrote in a note after the decision.

Trump has said the money the U.S. brings in from tariffs is “so enormous that you’re not going to have income tax to pay. Whether you get rid of it or just keep it around for fun or have it really low, much lower than it is now, but you won’t be paying income tax.”

“While tariffs are tax increases that raise more revenue for the federal government, the revenue coming in is not enough to cover all the spending the President envisions,” Erica York of the Tax Foundation has said.

In a statement posted on its website, the National Retail Federation lauded the Supreme Court’s decision, saying it provides “much-needed certainty for U.S. businesses and manufacturers, enabling global supply chains to operate without ambiguity.” The trade group said it urges “the lower court to ensure a seamless process to refund the tariffs to U.S. importers.”

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for
The Memo Newsletter

Get the biggest stories and best analysis on the business of sports delivered to your inbox twice every weekday and twice on weekends.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Is Carolyn Tisch Blodgett the Future Face of Giants Ownership?

Amid changes at top of Giants ownership, eyes are on Tisch Blodgett.
Sep 5, 2026; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin reacts to a play against Clemson Tigers during the first half at Tiger Stadium

LSU’s Kiffin Era Begins With Blowout Win Amid Legal Battle

LSU notched a decisive first win amid its brief legal detente.

Lane Kiffin’s Roster Decision Reverberates Across Baton Rouge

The legal battle over eligibility was ever-present in Death Valley on Saturday.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

9/4/26 – Judge Clears Pros for College, Good Good CEO Out, Russini Plots Comeback

0:00

Featured Today

Wild Transfer Window Shows How Premier League Towers Over Soccer

Spending in England vastly outstripped the rest of Europe.
September 3, 2026

Teams Are Spending Millions to Build Luxury Locker Rooms

It’s a recruiting pitch, a retention tool, and a seven-figure line item.
September 1, 2026

High School Football Sidelines Are Clogged With Content Creators

Administrators call these amateur newcomers the “pajama paparazzi.”
Aug 3, 2026; Washington, D.C., USA; Alexandra Eala (PHI) kisses the championship trophy during the trophy ceremony after her match against Jessica Pegula (USA) (not pictured) in the women's singles final of the 2026 Mubadala DC Open at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
August 30, 2026

How Alex Eala Turned the Philippines Into a Tennis Nation

A December homecoming match could break tennis’s attendance record.
August 26, 2026

Deshaun Watson Has Done the Impossible: Unite Browns Fans

Watson was named the starter after complaining boos were “personal.”

Enes Kanter Freedom Sues Chicago Sky, City of Chicago

Sky owner Michael Alter said Freedom “made himself into a threat.”
September 2, 2026

Feds Questioning Daktronics Over Reported Kawhi Leonard Ties

The company revealed on its earnings call it’s “cooperating” with the SEC.
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Final - Spain v Argentina - New York/New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S. - July 19, 2026 FIFA President Gianni Infantino inside the stadium before the match IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Mark J Rebilas
September 3, 2026

FIFA Fires Back at UEFA Legal Attack: ‘Smear Campaign’

UEFA has four legal cases concerning FIFA in three states.
Sponsored

Kerri Walsh Jennings’s Playbook for the Future of Volleyball

The former gold medalist talks NCAA, the Olympics, & investing in volleyball.
September 2, 2026

Prediction Markets Arrive on Supreme Court’s Doorstep

New Jersey asked the Supreme Court to weigh in.
September 2, 2026

Tiger Woods’s License Suspended For Five Years In DUI Case

The license suspension also comes with $1,500 in fines.
September 1, 2026

Ex-Warriors Employees Claim Retaliation, Discrimination in Suit

The Warriors called the allegations “false” and “misleading.”
September 1, 2026

Emmitt Smith Accused of Running $2.5M Scheme on Solar Deal

The former Cowboys star was sued over a solar deal gone sour.