SkyNews 2.21.2026
‘We knew this was coming’: Wine importer at centre of legal battle reacts to new tariffs
Victor Schwartz, the owner of small wine importer VOS Selections, based in New York, became the face of the struggle to overturn the US president’s most sweeping tariffs.
On 14 April 2025, the Liberty Justice Center filed the case titled VOS Selections, Inc. v. Trump.
Schwartz won in the end, with the Supreme Court ruling that Trump’s sweeping emergency tariffs are illegal on Friday.
Speaking to Sky News, Schwartz said when he was introduced to the Liberty Justice Center, tariffs were “on everyone’s mind”.
Even before Trump was elected last year, the wine and spirits industry was concerned about what was going on, which is when they started to organise.
He said he joined the case and a few days later they really liked his story, and they asked him to become the lead claimant.
Commenting on the new 15% rate, Schwartz said “we all knew this was going to be coming anyway” – with Trump obviously wanting to find a new way to have tariffs.
But Schwartz was quick to point out: “We won this case in the highest court in America.”