Businesses across the United States are now racing to recover billions of dollars in tariffs after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled those tariffs, which had been imposed under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act, were illegal.
They were struck down by the Supreme Court roughly two months ago and at the time of the decision, officials did not provide guidance on how companies would get their money back.
Last week, federal agencies launched a new online portal, allowing importers to apply for refunds.
Policy experts say that’s going to take some time.
“About $166 billion that was paid over the last year or so while these tariffs were in effect, that’s across 330,000 different companies or importers,” said Alex Jacquez, chief of policy and advocacy at Groundwork Collaborative. “And so it’s going to be a bit of a challenge to get everybody their money back.”
Tens of thousands of businesses have already signed up, including about 56,000 that pre-registered before the system officially launched on April 20.
Companies seeking refunds must log into the portal, submit documentation and verify payment records to claim what they are owed.
The system saw heavy traffic immediately after launch, leading to technical issues.
“There were some glitches and hiccups in the beginning because of all the volume — the website crashed,” Jacquez said. “But it is back up since it launched last Monday, April 20th.”
Experts say the refund process could be especially critical for small businesses, many of which struggled under the weight of the tariffs over the past year.
“There is still a tremendous challenge, particularly for small businesses who have borne the brunt of the tariff uncertainty,” Jacquez said, adding that consumers also felt the impact through higher prices.
“Some of these small businesses were hit hard and they really need this money back to make ends meet,” said Jacquez. “But some of these businesses, the big ones, Walmart and Target and the big retail chains, they went ahead, they passed their costs onto their consumers and now they’re getting a refund that they’ll just be able to pocket.”
The refund rollout comes as the Trump administration explores new tariff strategies. Analysts warn those efforts could face additional legal scrutiny following the Supreme Court’s decision.
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