Supreme Court Tariffs Ruling: Surf, Outdoor Companies Await Certainty

February 23, 2026

Outdoor and surf brands and retailers will grapple with more uncertainty in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling that found President Donald Trump’s tariffs were imposed illegally under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

“The whole tariff situation has led to chaos in terms of planning,” said Matt Powell, senior advisor at BCE Consulting and the founder of Spurwink River. “I don’t think that gets better any time soon.”

While some companies, such as Costco, have filed lawsuits seeking reimbursement of the more than $100 billion in tariffs collected in 2025 that were imposed by President Trump over the course of the year, it is possible that Congress could vote to give Trump the power to set tariffs unilaterally, Congress could implement tariffs or Trump could attempt to use an executive order to reinstate the tariffs, Powell said. SHOPeatSURF