The federal government is actively refunding over $35 billion to importers who were charged tariffs under the Trump administration’s trade measures, following a Supreme Court decision that deemed the tariff impositions unlawful. This marks a significant step in unwinding one of the most contentious economic policies of the previous administration.
The refunds cover duties paid on more than 8 million import entries, processed through a newly launched online portal created for submitting and validating claims. As of the latest court filing, nearly 87,000 claims have been approved out of around 126,000 submitted since the program’s launch in late April. Once validated, these claims move forward for Treasury to issue payments, which may include interest accrued on the original duties.
The Supreme Court struck down the tariffs in a 6-3 verdict, ruling that the use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by former President Trump to impose them was unlawful. However, the court left the question of refunding those duties to lower courts and administrative bodies, prompting this extensive refund process.
More than 8.3 million accepted import entries have been reviewed and adjusted to remove the IEEPA-based tariffs. Yet, some refunds remain pending because importers have not supplied needed bank account details, delaying payment disbursements for nearly 1,900 consolidated claims. Meanwhile, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have noted that the initial refund phase addresses only about a third of the entries affected by the court decision. The rest involve more complex issues with no announced timeline for resolution or payment.
Refunds began rolling out to importers shortly after the online system became operational, with some payments arriving earlier than anticipated. This initiative seeks to correct the financial burden on businesses that paid duties now deemed improper by the courts.