From longshot lawsuit to landmark ruling: How a family toy business took on Trump's tariffs

By Nicholas P. Brown and Eric Cox

NEW YORK, Feb 19 (Reuters) - When Rick Woldenberg took the reins of his family's artifact business, Learning Resources Inc, astir 3 decades ago, authorities and litigation were not connected his agenda. Then helium became a cardinal fig successful 1 of the astir important U.S. Supreme Court rulings ‌of the past respective years.

The tribunal connected Friday struck down President Donald Trump's imposition of unprecedented tariffs nether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, aft a rash of ‌importers, U.S. authorities governments and others sued.

Illinois-based Learning Resources, which imports astir of the acquisition toys it sells from China, was 1 of the archetypal tiny businesses to bring a suit against Trump's tariffs past April. Along with different importers, ​the institution could present beryllium entitled to a stock of billions of dollars successful refunds - though the Supreme Court did not determine however oregon erstwhile that whitethorn happen.

"My anticipation is that this ruling is an accidental for everyone to instrumentality a enactment and deliberation astir what is important and what needs to get done," Woldenberg told Reuters connected Friday.

The White House did not instantly remark connected the ruling.

Small businesses similar Learning Resources and its sister company, hand2mind, correspond astir 97% of U.S. importers and bring successful immoderate $868 cardinal worthy of goods annually, according to a 2025 U.S. Chamber of Commerce study that ‌described Trump's tariffs arsenic a menace to specified businesses' survival.

Within days ⁠of Trump's tariff announcement past April, Woldenberg was speaking retired against the duties. In June, aft Learning Resources won its suit successful the territory court, it asked the U.S. Supreme Court to instrumentality up an aboriginal review.

"I decided that I would person a batch harder clip dealing with not acting than ⁠acting," Woldenberg told Reuters successful a abstracted interrogation connected Thursday, adding helium did not spot his ineligible conflict arsenic political.

"It's astir taxes," helium said. "They beryllium america money... each American agrees we wage excessively overmuch successful taxes, and nary 1 volition privation to wage a taxation they don't person to pay."

Despite Friday's Supreme Court ruling, the contented is acold from resolved. Experts accidental the process of getting refunds volition beryllium agelong and ​legally ​complex, and that Trump could effort to salvage tariffs by utilizing different ineligible frameworks.

FAMILY BUSINESS

For Woldenberg, toys are ​in the blood. Learning Resources was founded successful 1984 by his parent ‌and has roots successful a concern started by Woldenberg's gramps much than a period ago.