Who is the man who defeated the strongest man in the world. A small wine importer is the mastermind behind the lawsuit that overturned Trump's tariffs

A small New York wine importer is behind Friday's historic decision by the US Supreme Court that many of the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump are illegal, CNN and NPR report.

The American press writes that the decision is the most important defeat suffered by the Trump administration at the Supreme Court, which last year repeatedly allied with the leader of the White House in a series of emergency decisions on immigration, the firing of the heads of independent agencies and drastic cuts in government spending.

Trump had imposed the tariffs under a law intended for use in national emergencies, but the Supreme Court ruled that the move violated the US Constitution, stating that only Congress has the power to impose tariffs.

Trump: “A shame”

Trump got the news in a memo while meeting with governors at the White House on Friday morning. After reading the note, he said aloud “this is a shame” and then left the room shortly after, according to a governor present at the meeting.

In a press conference Friday afternoon, the US leader criticized the judges, two of whom he appointed, who ruled against him.

The Supreme Court ruling infuriated Trump and he quickly announced that he had signed a new 10% global tariff right after the judges blocked his tariffs. Only Canada and Mexico will be exempt, according to an agreement signed with the White House.

A small wine importer challenged Trump's tariffs

While major companies have not objected and remained silent, Trump's plan to impose high tariffs on goods from countries around the world, including France, has also affected New York-based wine importer VOS Selections.

Victor Schwartz's 40-year-old company is one of several small firms that challenged the Trump administration in court, arguing that Trump did not have the authority to impose these drastic tariffs and the man became, with the victory at the Supreme Court, the iconic figure who defeated the most powerful man in the world and managed to eliminate tariffs, which reached levels not seen since 1930.

“It was one thing to join the case, but being the lead plaintiff made me hesitate,” Schwartz told CNN after learning of the Supreme Court's decision, dealing a major setback to one of Trump's flagship economic policies.

He accepted the role after a family member put him in touch with the Liberty Justice Center, a non-profit, libertarian-leaning public interest law firm.

What Victor Schwartz says about the Supreme Court decision

After discussions with dozens of other small businesses, the group chose Schwartz as the lead plaintiff.

“It makes you feel proud to be an American and to know that our system works that way,” Schwartz told ABC News, as quoted by Newsweek. “The fact that this small business in New York can challenge something because it's just wrong … that we can go to the biggest and highest court in the land and because we were right, we can win,” the man said.

Like other businesses dependent on products from outside the country, Schwartz's company, which imports wine and other spirits from small producers around the world to restaurants and stores in the US, was directly affected by the tariffs imposed by Trump.

The biggest problem was that the company had to pay high taxes before selling the products.

“A very important thing to consider when running a business, certainly a small one, is the impact on cash flow,” he told Fox News.

“When you have to pay these fees upfront, before you sell a single bottle of wine, the impact is major … cash flow is critical for a company,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz and other businessmen argued that the tariffs created unpredictable costs that threatened the survival of smaller firms with limited cash flow.

Supreme Court decision as an Olympic medal

In Friday's ruling, the Supreme Court concluded that Trump had overstepped his authority by repealing much of the tariffs but maintaining taxes imposed under other laws.

“The framers of the Constitution did not vest any part of the taxing power in the executive branch,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority.

Neal Katyal, the plaintiffs' attorney, told MSNOW, “I was able to stand up in court — the son of immigrants — and say, on behalf of small business America, 'Hey, this president is acting illegally.' I was able to make my case, ask them some very tough questions, and in the end they deliberated and we won.”

Schwartz compared the victory at the highest court in the US to an important medal.

“If I could use a metaphor, if I think about the Olympics that we're all watching right now, I would imagine it's like winning a gold medal,” Schwartz told ABC News.

What happens to customs duties already collected?

After the Supreme Court's decision, one important thing remains unclear: how the money that has already been collected from Trump's tariffs will be returned.

The issue of refunds has loomed large in the case, with Trump administration officials saying any refunds could have devastating consequences for the US economy.

According to US authorities, by mid-December 2025, the federal government had collected $134 billion from more than 300,000 importers in tax challenges in court. The issue will most likely be decided by the lower courts.