An obscure wine retailer from New York, who boldly challenged the tariffs imposed by Donald Trump in the Supreme Court, is celebrating his victory by uncorking a bottle of red wine.
Victor Schwartz, aged 67, emerged as the unlikely champion in the fight to overturn the contentious tariffs after he initiated legal action against the government last April.
Schwartz, who has been running VOS Selections in Manhattan since 1987, was deeply concerned that these tariffs would severely impact his boutique business.
He contended that the US President did not possess the legal authority to enforce tariffs without the consent of Congress, positioning himself as one of the few outspoken business leaders to challenge the tariffs publicly.
This past Friday, Schwartz celebrated as the US Supreme Court ruled in his favor, effectively nullifying Trump’s tariff policy.
“Sometimes, it just takes a spark to ignite a blaze,” he shared with CNN. “I’m not going to regret that spark; instead, I’m going to take pride in it.”
Schwartz said that he felt like the ‘last line of defense’ when he challenged Trump’s sweeping tariffs.
‘It was one thing to join the case,’ he told the outlet. ‘But then to be the lead plaintiff really gave me pause.’
Victor Schwartz, pictured with his daughter Chloe, filed a lawsuit last April against US President Donald Trump arguing that he could not impose tariffs without Congress’ approval
Trump’s tariffs were struck down by the US Supreme Court on Friday, although the US President later signed an executive order imposing a new ten percent global tariff
He said he planned on celebrating his win by opening an old bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
The wine importer said his legal battle with the US President has led to threats and heightened security measures.
‘I am under constant attack through text, email and I can’t stop it,’ Schwartz said.
He added: ‘It’s a little ugly. I guess it could be uglier. We keep our doors locked at the office.’
Schwartz described the economy as ‘very unhealthy’ as a result of the Trump administration’s shifting tariff policies.
‘We had to go through every item in our book over since Liberation Day, I think, at least four times,’ he said.
Schwartz estimated that he has paid six figures in tariffs since April 2, when Trump announced the sweeping so-called reciprocal tariffs.
‘We can’t just raise our prices, and we just can’t pay it, unlike big companies that can just write a check,’ he said.
Schwartz owns wine importer VOS Selections in Manhattan and said he felt like the ‘last line of defense’ against the tariffs
He said the lawsuit was not political and called the Supreme Court’s decision ‘a win for all American businesses and all American consumers’
Schwartz’s lawsuit – filed with the nonprofit Liberty Justice Center alongside other plaintiffs – detailed how he bought wines from Argentina, France, Spain, Mexico, Morocco or South Africa.
He argued that Trump’s measures, which impacted all of those countries, could be ‘particularly severe’ for his business and consumers.
However, it remains to be seen how the Supreme Court’s ruling will affect Schwartz’s company.
After Trump’s tariffs were struck down, the US President announced he had signed an executive order imposing a new ten percent global tariff.
The White House said the move invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, and Trump added on Truth Social that the tariffs would be effective ‘almost immediately.’
Those tariffs can only last for 150 days and any extension would require congressional approval.
‘We try to tamp down our fear but still recognize the challenges of what’s out there,’ Schwartz said.
He called the question of getting a refund on the struck down tariffs ‘pretty clear.’
Trump announced the global tariffs in April 2, which was coined Liberation Day. Schwartz estimated that he had paid six figures tariffs since then
‘The highest court in the land has ruled that these particular tariffs, as they were put upon us, were illegal,’ he told MS NOW. ‘In that sense, there’s no question the government needs to return that money.’
The Supreme Court did not determine if or how the government should provide refunds, however.
Still, the wine importer said his successful case had addressed what he called a ‘really bad business decision on the part of the administration’.
He said the tariffs ‘created chaos,’ driving up prices and lowering profit margins.
Schwartz insisted that his decision to challenge Trump’s policy was ‘just not a political thing’.
‘I hear from people widely across the political spectrum how much they hate these tariffs,’ Schwartz said. ‘How they never expected this administration to do something of this nature.’
He called the Supreme Court’s ruling ‘a win for all American businesses and all American consumers’.
‘When justice prevails, when you’re on the side of what’s right, and it’s clearly correct, it’s an amazing feeling,’ he said.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Schwartz for further comment.
