US Importers to Receive $85bn in Tariff Refunds After Supreme Court Ruling

US importers are expected to receive $85bn in tariff refunds after the supreme court struck down Donald Trump’s tariffs in February, according to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the agency that collects tariffs. Importers and shippers have so far been refunded $20bn, according to court documents filed on Tuesday, with about $65bn more on the way. After months of uncertainty and higher costs, American businesses largely welcomed the supreme court’s ruling that Trump overstepped his authority in enacting sweeping tariffs, including a baseline 10% tariff on all imports. It was the first time the highest court overruled Trump’s policies in his second term. For nearly a year, many businesses across the US, ranging from whisky distilleries in Kentucky to giant corporations, have been reeling from the gut-punch of Trump’s signature tariffs. Walmart reported last year that it had to increase its prices, while Jim Beam, a bourbon maker, announced that it would close its distillery for a year as the industry navigated volatility brought on by the tariffs. Though the court did not specify in its ruling whether businesses would be entitled to a refund, many major retailers and associations, including the US National Retail Federation and the US Chamber of Commerce, said they would pursue a swift return of the $133bn in tariffs that were covered by the court’s ruling. Though Trump praised companies that held off on applying for refunds and said that he would “remember” which companies requested them, many of America’s biggest businesses, from Walmart to General Motors, have filed requests. FedEx immediately sued the US government for a refund after the supreme court ruling, while other companies filed for refunds directly through a portal created by CBP. Walmart said in an earnings call last week that it would probably put its tariff refunds toward lowering prices, pointing out that its lower-income customers were navigating increased financial distress. American households have also been hit hard by tariff-related costs. The Tax Foundation, a non-partisan thinktank, found that the tariffs cost US households an average tax increase of $1,000 in 2025 and will continue to cost them $700 this year. A majority of voters said tariffs had had a negative impact and were not the right solution for the economy, according to a March Harris/Guardian poll, with seven out of 10 Americans reporting higher prices.