Can American customers expect any benefit as US companies seek tariff refunds?

The United States government on launched its tariffs refund site called the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) portal, from where businesses can apply for their share.

This comes after the country's Supreme Court (SCOTUS) in February struck down US President Donald Trump's tariff regime under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977, a national emergency law use it deemed illegal. Court filings show refunds could reach nearly $166 billion, with over 3.3 lakh importers having paid tariffs for upwards of 53 million shipments, USA Today reported.

As per an official statement from US Customs and Border Protection (US CBP), the portal will be launched in phases — the first was on Monday.

Tariff refund process: Who is eligible? Is it automatic?

• Businesses that paid IEEPA tariffs and customs brokers who paid on behalf of importers, can apply for the tariff refunds.
• Notably, the refunds are not automatic. Companies will need to apply through the portal and wait for their claims to be reviewed and approved.
• Further, applicants also need to register their bank account details with the ACE Secure Data Portal (ACE portal) in order to get a refund.

• According to the CBP statement, refunds will be issued within 60-90 days following acceptance of the CAPE declaration, unless a compliance concern requires further review from the department.
• All refunds are required to be paid electronically via Automated Clearing House (ACH) (Federal Register Document 2025-24171).
• At time of writing, consumers, who paid higher costs on an imported product are not eligible to submit claims for a tariff refund.

Could American consumers also get refunds?

Notably, everyday American customers are unlikely to see benefit of refunds, an AP report said, adding that this is because it would be too hard to specify how much is owed and the cost of pursuing legal means may be more expensive that the eventual windfall, if any.

Jackson Wood, director of industry strategy for Descartes’ Global Trade Intelligence business unit told USA Today that companies “blew a giant hole in their profit statements” to pay tariffs and are unlikely to pass refunds to Americans. Till date, only two US companies — FedEx and Costco — have said they will pass some relief to consumers. But this will only come once they receive the refund, it added.

However, Illinois Governor and Democrat JB Pritzker made a case for refund on behalf of his state's 5.11 million households, the AP report added. In a letter to Trump, he said the tariffs cost each household in the state around $1,700 — a cumulative $8.7 billion, warning that failure to pay would be met with “further action”.

Pritzker is not alone in his endeavour, Nevada Treasurer Zach Conine has also submitted a $2.1 billion payment request to the federal government, as cost of the tariffs, as per the report. “As Nevada’s chief investment officer, I have a responsibility to try to recoup every single dollar that the Trump Administration takes from Nevada families,” Conine said in a statement on 20 February.