US Importers Begin Seeking Refunds for Nullified Trump Tariffs A refund system for businesses that paid tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump without constitutional authority is set to launch on Monday, allowing importers and their brokers to begin claiming reimbursements for the taxes the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled invalid. The process, managed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), will open an online portal at 8 a.m. for companies to submit declarations detailing the goods on which they paid billions in import taxes. If approved, refunds could take 60-90 days to process, though the government plans to handle claims in phases, prioritizing more recent tariff payments. The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision on February 20 declared that Trump overstepped his authority by imposing new import tax rates in April 2020, citing the U.S. trade deficit as a national emergency. The ruling invalidated tariffs on products from nearly every country, though the court did not explicitly address refund mechanisms. However, a judge at the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled last month that companies subjected to the IEEPA tariffs were entitled to refunds, setting the stage for the current system. CBP estimates that over 330,000 importers paid a total of $166 billion in tariffs on more than 53 million shipments. However, not all cases qualify for the initial phase of refunds, which applies only to tariffs estimated but not finalized or within 80 days of a final accounting. To participate, importers must register for CBP’s electronic payment system, with 56,497 businesses already enrolled as of April 14, eligible for refunds totaling $127 billion, including interest. Accuracy is critical for successful claims.#donald_trump #us_supreme_court #us_customs_and_border_protection #us_court_of_international_trade #ice_miller
