U.S. Businesses Begin Filing Claims for Trump Tariff Refunds

Businesses across the United States began filing claims on Monday for refunds of tariffs they paid before the Supreme Court ruled that most of President Trump’s import duties were unconstitutional, opening a new phase in a dispute that has left importers waiting for months to recover money tied up at the border.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection portal started accepting requests at 8 a.m. Eastern time, and companies that had prepared their paperwork said the process moved quickly. Sarah Wells, who sells imported backpacks and other products for nursing mothers, logged on 10 minutes early and said uploading records of the tariffs she had paid was smooth. Alfred Mai, whose San Francisco company, ASM Games, makes card games in China, said he submitted claims for 17 shipments in about five minutes. He said the tariffs on those shipments totaled more than $162,000.

Refunds are expected to arrive 60 to 90 days after a request is filed, according to the government. But Monday’s launch covers only the first phase of repayments, so not every shipment affected by the now-invalid tariffs qualifies right away. The customs agency has said it is still building out its system, known as CAPE, to handle later claims on older tariff payments that have already been finalized.

The refunds stem from a Supreme Court decision that struck down most of Trump’s tariffs as unconstitutional. The court did not spell out how the government should return the money, leaving importers uncertain about whether they would ever see repayment and how complicated the process might be. For weeks, businesses had been waiting for federal officials to explain how the refunds would work.

Customs has estimated that it owes $166 billion in tariff refunds overall. In legal filings, the agency has said that the first phase will cover most affected imports and that companies using electronic payment systems are owed about $127 billion. A Customs official told a judge last week that most eligible importers had signed up for electronic payments, which is now required for the refund process.

For many businesses, the money at stake is significant but may not flow directly back to consumers. Economists and legal experts say tariff costs often move through several layers of the supply chain, from manufacturers to suppliers to importers to retailers and then shoppers. That makes it difficult to determine who ultimately absorbed the cost.

Retailers say they paid some of those costs indirectly through higher wholesale prices. Joe Kimray, who owns B & W Hardware in North Carolina, said most of his products are made abroad or use imported parts. He said he plans to talk with manufacturers about whether they will share any refund money or offer lower wholesale prices on future orders.

Some companies have already told investors or customers how they plan to handle any money they recover. FedEx has said it will pass along any refunds it receives. Costco’s chief executive told investors last month that the company would return shoppers’ money through lower prices and better value and would be transparent about its plans.

The refund effort comes after months of uncertainty for importers who paid duties while their goods moved through customs review. Under normal procedures, companies pay duties when goods arrive at the border, but final customs review can take nearly a year. That means some payments now eligible for refund were still technically under review when the Supreme Court acted.

Main Street Alliance, which advocates for small businesses, called the launch a victory for small firms that organized and pushed for relief. The group said the federal government now has to make sure the refund process works for smaller importers as well as larger ones.

Shoppers who believe they bore some of the tariff burden have also sought relief through class-action lawsuits against companies including Costco and FedEx. But even if businesses recover large sums from Customs, experts say it will be hard to trace those dollars back through pricing decisions made over many months of inflation and shifting supply costs.

For now, importers are focused on getting claims filed correctly and waiting to see whether the government can process them without delays or technical problems as more businesses enter the portal in the days ahead.