US govt begins $166 bn global tariffs refunds

The Trump administration has started issuing refunds for the $166 billion in global tariffs that the US Supreme Court declared unlawful earlier this year, with payments now reaching importers’ bank accounts, according to US media reports.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) launched an online refund portal on April 20 to process claims linked to tariffs collected under President Donald Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

The Trump administration has begun refunding part of the $166 billion in global tariffs ruled unlawful by the US Supreme Court earlier this year.
US Customs launched an online claims portal, with over 1.7 million import entries already in the refund process.
The tariffs were originally introduced to address mounting US balance-of-payments deficits and rising trade imbalances.

According to court filings, claims covering around 1.74 million import entries had passed initial validation and entered the refund process by the end of April, while several million entries were rejected. The government is expected to provide its next status update to the US trade court on May 12.

The Supreme Court ruled against the tariffs in February but did not immediately settle how refunds would be handled, prompting further legal proceedings in New York. The administration has confirmed that approved refunds will include interest payments, although it has not guaranteed repayment for all tariffs collected under the programme.

The tariffs were originally introduced to address mounting US balance-of-payments deficits, rising trade imbalances, and concerns over financial stability. The White House had cited persistent goods trade deficits of about $1.2 trillion in both 2024 and 2025, alongside a deteriorating net international investment position.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (CG)