How to get a refund for Trump tariffs struck down by Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to strike down illegal U.S. tariffs has led to the flow of refunds to businesses, with consumers potentially eligible for some relief. The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency can only issue refunds to the importer of record, the entity that paid the tariffs. Businesses receiving IEEPA tariff refunds can choose to keep or pass on some of the money to consumers.

However, consumers cannot directly obtain funds from customs; refunds are typically received from carriers who decide to share the financial relief with customers. Major carriers such as UPS, FedEx, and DHL have committed to issuing refunds to customers as they receive reimbursements from the federal government, with UPS expecting to receive $5 billion in refunds.

While consumers may only recover a portion of the additional import duties they paid, some businesses have pledged to lower prices using their tariff refunds, but this benefit may not be permanent or widespread.