A judge at the Court of International Trade in New York decided that importers have a claim to refunds for tariffs already paid, according to major media reports. This decision comes after the Supreme Court declared these tariffs unlawful in a landmark decision last month. The Supreme Court ruled that the law does not allow the US president to impose tariffs independently, but it did not decide whether the government must refund tariff revenues to importers.
The specific legal arguments used by the Court of International Trade to reach its ruling have not been disclosed. Several companies, including the US logistics company FedEx, have filed lawsuits against the government at the Court of International Trade in New York to enforce a refund of tariffs already paid. Additionally, several Swiss companies have announced they will demand refunds, including the ski brand Stöckli, watch manufacturers Breitling and Swatch, pocketknife producer Victorinox, and chocolate company Läderach.
The plaintiff in the specific case was a company from the state of Tennessee, though its name has not been released. Immediately after the Supreme Court's ruling, a wave of demands for refunds of such tariffs was expected. 5 percent of the US budget.
President Donald Trump imposed tariffs against dozens of trading partners since the beginning of his second term, bypassing Congress, citing a 1977 emergency law. The timeline for the US government to process and pay these tariff refunds remains unclear.