When President Donald Trump unveiled plans last year to push U.S. tariff levels to heights unseen since the Great Depression, most corporate leaders chose not to speak up. Experience had taught them that challenging the president’s agenda—especially his defining economic policy—could bring consequences more damaging than the tariffs themselves.
For executives overseeing multinational firms with billions of dollars in annual revenue, staying quiet felt like the safest option. Victor Schwartz, however, didn’t have that luxury.
The owner of VOS Selections, a small, family-run wine importing business based in New York, stepped into a role few others were willing to take. Schwartz ultimately became the public face of the legal challenge to Trump’s most far-reaching tariffs—and on Friday, he prevailed when the Supreme Court struck them down.
“Joining the case was one thing,” he said. “Agreeing to be the lead plaintiff—that really made me stop and think.”
Schwartz found himself in that position after a family member connected him with the Liberty Justice Center, a libertarian-leaning nonprofit preparing to challenge the administration’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs without congressional approval. After consulting with dozens of small business owners affected by the policy, the group selected Schwartz to represent them.
With major corporations declining to engage publicly, Schwartz said he felt compelled to act.
“I felt like the last line of defense,” he said—both against what he viewed as an unconstitutional expansion of executive power and against an existential threat to his livelihood.
On April 14, 2025, the Liberty Justice Center formally filed VOS Selections, Inc. v. Trump. The case was later combined with similar lawsuits brought by 12 U.S. states and by Learning Resources, an educational products manufacturer.
The legal battle ended in Schwartz’s favor, with the Supreme Court of the United States ruling that Trump’s emergency tariffs were unlawful. But the victory came with personal consequences.
“I’m constantly being attacked—texts, emails, nonstop,” Schwartz said. “It’s not pleasant. We keep the office doors locked.”
‘We can’t just raise our prices’
VOS Selections imports wine and spirits from 16 countries, placing Schwartz squarely at the mercy of the U.S. tariff system. He’s accustomed to policy shifts and fluctuating rates, particularly during Trump’s presidency. At one point last year, the administration floated a 50% tariff on European Union imports.
“The environment right now—especially for my industry—is extremely unhealthy,” Schwartz said. “Since ‘Liberation Day,’ we’ve reviewed every single item in our portfolio at least four times.”
Trump coined April 2, 2025—the day he announced the now-invalidated tariffs—as “Liberation Day.”
Unlike large corporations, Schwartz said he had no cushion.
“We can’t simply hike prices, and we can’t just absorb the cost,” he explained. “Big companies can write a check. We can’t.” Since April, he estimates VOS Selections paid well into six figures in tariff costs.
The Supreme Court’s ruling opens the door for potential refunds that could total as much as $134 billion for importers, based on U.S. Customs and Border Protection data through mid-December. How those repayments might be distributed, however, remains unclear.
At the same time, the decision doesn’t mark the end of Trump’s tariff efforts. The president has already enacted a separate 10% global tariff under a different statute and has signaled additional trade actions may be forthcoming.
Schwartz said those possibilities still worry him—but at least future tariffs would likely be narrower and time-limited.
Taking on the most powerful man in the world
Schwartz never underestimated the danger of confronting a sitting president.
“We try to manage the fear while acknowledging what we’re up against,” he said.
Even major corporations have faced backlash for questioning the cost of Trump’s trade policies. Amazon reportedly drew sharp criticism from the administration after reports surfaced that it was considering showing customers how tariffs affected prices. After a conversation with founder Jeff Bezos, Trump said the plan would not proceed—though Amazon later said it had never been intended for the company’s main platform.
For Schwartz, messages of support from business owners across the political spectrum helped counter the criticism.
Rick Woldenberg, CEO of Learning Resources, said he felt similarly compelled to challenge the tariffs.
“The math was simple,” Woldenberg told The news media “I couldn’t afford the tax they were imposing.” Unlike Schwartz, he covered his own legal costs, which reached seven figures.
“I wanted my name on that lawsuit,” he said. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Big companies benefit, small businesses take the risk
Alan Morrison, who previously led a successful challenge to Trump-era steel tariffs, said fear explains why many companies stayed quiet.
“He threatens individual firms. He hands out exemptions,” Morrison said. “That makes businesses feel exposed.”
In earlier cases, large corporations were able to wait on the sidelines and see how litigation unfolded. This time, many—including Costco—filed protective lawsuits to preserve their refund claims without publicly opposing the administration.
Schwartz said he doesn’t resent that dynamic.
“It only takes a small match to start a fire,” he said. “If that’s my role, I’m fine with it. I’m proud of what we did.”
To mark the win, Schwartz said he plans to uncork a well-aged bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
