The Supreme Court's decision in February invalidated tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, triggering a massive refund process. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) launched an online refund portal on Monday, April 14, 2025, to process claims. The ruling opens the door to up to $175 billion in refunds for businesses that paid the tariffs, according to a single source.
More than 330,000 importers paid a combined $166 billion across more than 53 million shipments, according to one report. As of April 14, some 56,497 importers had registered for the refund system, with eligible claims totaling $127 billion including interest, according to multiple sources. More than 3,000 cases are now before the US Court of International Trade covering the full spectrum of industries, according to one report. Technology, media and telecoms firms stand to gain the most with an estimated $47.6 billion in potential refunds, according to one report.
The first phase of refunds covers only tariffs that were estimated but not finalized, or within 80 days of a final accounting, according to one report. Approved claims will take 60 to 90 days for payment, according to multiple sources. CBP says it will take 60 to 90 days after the application is submitted before payments are made, according to Östgöta Correspondenten.
We didn't know what our pricing would be when we were going to start flowing product. How do I go to REI with pricing when I don't even know what [it's] going to be?
Businesses receiving refunds are under no obligation to share the proceeds with customers, according to one report. Class-action lawsuits are working through the courts targeting companies including Costco and Essilor Luxottica, according to one report. A refund process that takes several months to complete does not solve the cash flow problem it is supposed to fix, according to Euronews.
Household names already filing claims include Costco, Toyota, Goodyear, Xerox, Steve Madden and Bath & Body Works, according to one report. Online fashion retailer Asos is seeking refunds for £7 million worth of tariffs paid in the first half of its financial year, according to one report. Asos made a pre-tax loss of £137.9 million in the six months to 1 March, compared with a £241.5 million loss a year earlier, according to one report.
Some businesses reported a smooth experience with the portal, while others received error messages, according to one report. If there is an entry on that file that does not qualify, it may cause the entire entry to be rejected, according to Euronews. The system is currently experiencing high volume, please try again later, according to BBC News - Business. Like any electronic online program that goes live with a lot of interest, she would expect that there might be some hiccups, according to Euronews.
Small brands like us, we just don't have that leverage.
Elizabeth Vitanza, who runs a lighting and home furnishings company in Los Angeles, said all modern brands they work with have raised prices at least 12% over the past year, according to one report. Vitanza and her husband placed a large order with a Swedish brand partner before tariffs kicked in but still got hit with a five-figure tariff, according to one report. None of this is pro-business or pro-American, according to The Guardian - Business. The money they had set aside to renovate their showroom, to maybe increase people's salaries – to do things that businesses do with money that they budget for – suddenly was now being cut into in substantial and unexpected ways, according to The Guardian - Business. She would not start a business right now if she did not have a firmly established one, according to The Guardian - Business.
A furniture maker in Texas said tariffs raised the price of imported lumber and cabinet hardware, forcing him to raise prices, according to one report. The tariffs have raised the price of imported lumber – which cannot be grown domestically – and on cabinet hardware, which is not manufactured in the United States, according to The Guardian - Business. Rob Coughlin of Granite Gear said the company's duty fee jumped from 18% to 46% after Trump's reciprocal tariffs, then lowered to 20% in August, according to one report. Granite Gear ultimately raised its prices roughly 10 to 20%, according to one report. They did not know what their pricing would be when they were going to start flowing product, and asked how to go to REI with pricing when they do not even know what it is going to be, according to The Guardian - Business. Small brands like them just do not have that leverage, according to The Guardian - Business.
Dr Charlie Elrod, founder of a natural health products company for livestock, said tariffs raised costs by about $1 million in the last year, according to one report. The tariffs, especially those on Brazil, have raised their costs by about $1m in the last year, according to The Guardian - Business. Brad Jackson of After Action Cigars said his company absorbed $34,000 in tariff costs last year, according to one report. Trump said the refund issue could be tied up in courts for the next five years, according to one report.