Following Supreme Court Ruling, US Has Refunded $100 Billion in Tariffs, with 60% "Refund Progress"

A ruling by the US Supreme Court has compelled the US government to refund hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs to importers.

According to media reports on Tuesday, US Customs officials disclosed in documents submitted to the US Court of International Trade that the government has refunded approximately $100 billion since the Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that the Trump administration lacked the authority to impose tariffs using emergency economic powers.

This refund amount represents about 60% of the total $165 billion collected since the imposition of "reciprocal tariffs" in April.

Refund Speed Exceeds Expectations

The rapid progress of the refunds has surprised many industry participants.

Following the Supreme Court's ruling, Trump administration officials repeatedly hinted that refunds would be delayed indefinitely. Treasury Secretary Bessent stated in February, "It could take years of litigation to reach the stage of refunds. And if refunds do happen, it looks like nothing more than a final corporate welfare handout."

Trump himself posted on Truth Social last month, angrily criticizing the Supreme Court justices' decision for costing the United States "trillions and trillions of dollars."

However, the reality is that refunds are being implemented rapidly. Ted Murphy, a trade lawyer at Sidley Austin, said, "The government is pushing hard on refunds." Walker Livingston, an analyst at consulting firm Capstone, also expressed, "The speed at which the government is moving has personally delighted me."

In Tuesday's court filings, CBP also disclosed that over $128 billion has been "accepted for processing," indicating that more refunds are imminent.

Who Can Receive Refunds?

Not everyone is eligible for refunds.

CBP's refund system stipulates that only the "importer of record"—the entity that directly declares imports to customs—can log in to the website to submit applications.

This means that many small businesses that did not directly import goods but effectively bore the tariffs through higher procurement costs or itemized surcharges are excluded. Some small businesses have also stated that they do not know how to apply for refunds or lack the capacity to complete the application process.

As a result, most refunds are flowing to large corporations. Greg Casar, a progressive Democratic congressman from Texas, criticized, "Trump is handing 'refunds' to corporations rather than ordinary workers. Every cent of these refunds should be returned to American consumers."

New Tariffs Are on the Horizon Amidst Refunds

Despite being forced to refund hundreds of billions of dollars, the Trump administration has not abandoned its efforts to rebuild tariff barriers.

According to Xinhua News Agency, in July this year, the Office of the United States Trade Representative issued an announcement stating that, under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, it would impose tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on dozens of countries and regions under the pretext of so-called "forced labor," replacing the expiring global import tariffs.

However, the new round of tariffs has quickly encountered legal resistance—currently, there are at least three independent lawsuits, including one filed by the legal team that successfully challenged the "Liberation Day" tariffs in the Supreme Court.

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