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The U.S. government has begun issuing refunds for tariffs imposed during the Trump administration, and importers could see payments arriving soon.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump’s tariffs, enacted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, were unlawful. This decision obligates the government to repay over $166 billion, plus interest, to American importers who had paid these tariffs.
Several major retailers, including Costco, had sued for these refunds, anticipating a lengthy legal process. However, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has accelerated the timeline, announcing that refunds might start going out as early as this week.
On April 20, CBP launched the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) portal, enabling importers to file claims for tariff reimbursements. By Monday morning, the agency had received more than 126,000 refund applications, covering millions of import entries.
To date, CBP has approved over 86,000 claims totaling upwards of $35.5 billion in refunds. While the agency aims to process payments within 60 to 90 days of approval, some cases may require additional review, potentially extending that timeframe.
Only those importers who directly paid the tariffs are eligible to apply for refunds, which means individual consumers cannot file claims themselves. However, many businesses passed the cost of tariffs onto customers, prompting class action lawsuits against retailers like Costco, FedEx, and even Nintendo seeking refunds on behalf of shoppers.
An estimated 300,000 importers-including retail giants such as Walmart, Target, Nike, Gap, and Home Depot-are expected to receive reimbursement from the federal government.
For consumers hoping to recoup costs, participation in class action lawsuits remains a primary option. Some companies have committed to passing on tariff refunds directly to customers.
For instance, Cards Against Humanity has pledged to refund consumers who overpaid, while Costco announced plans to use its tariff refunds to offer lower prices and better deals. FedEx also indicated that it would issue tariff refunds to both shippers and consumers who bore the duties.
As the refund process unfolds, businesses and customers alike will be watching closely to see how quickly these repayments materialize.