US to begin US$166 billion tariff refunds after court strikes down Trump-era duties

THE United States government has informed the US Court of International Trade that it will begin issuing refunds totalling US$166 billion to American importers from next Monday, following a landmark court ruling that invalidated sweeping tariffs imposed under former president Donald Trump.

Bernama, citing a court filing on Tuesday by US Customs and Border Protection, reported that the agency has completed the initial phase of a new refund system known as CAPE, which will process payments electronically.

Each eligible importer will receive a single electronic payment along with accrued interest, with the refunds to be distributed in stages.

Court documents indicate that more than 330,000 importers had paid tariffs on approximately 53 million import shipments under the now-invalidated measures.

As of April 9, about 56,497 eligible importers had already completed the necessary procedures to receive refunds amounting to US$127 billion, the filing said.

The refunds follow a February ruling by the US Supreme Court, which found that the broad tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were unconstitutional. The decision formally nullified global tariffs introduced beginning in April 2025.

Despite the scale of the refunds, consumers are unlikely to benefit directly.

A recent quarterly survey by the CNBC Chief Financial Officer Council found that although 12 out of 25 chief financial officers said their companies planned to seek tariff refunds, none indicated they would pass the funds on to customers. - April 16, 2026