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The administration of President Donald Trump has refunded more than $20 billion in tariffs to importers and shipping companies after the Supreme Court of the United States struck down a central part of Trump’s trade policy earlier this year.
According to a court filing submitted Tuesday, the administration had collected more than $165 billion in country-specific tariffs using powers claimed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. In February, however, the Supreme Court ruled that the tariffs exceeded the authority granted to the president under that law.
Since the ruling, companies have rushed to recover tariff payments.
Brandon Lord, executive director of trade programs at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said in the filing that roughly $85 billion in potential and certified refunds had been accepted for processing through May 22.
Of that amount, $20.6 billion had already been refunded to importers.
Lord added that more than 4,100 refund claims had not yet been processed because companies failed to provide banking information required for payment.
Major corporations seeking refunds include Costco, Walmart, Home Depot, Target, General Motors, Ford Motor Company, FedEx, UPS and DHL.
Last month, Trump suggested he would “remember” companies that declined to request refunds, signaling that businesses choosing not to reclaim the money could receive favorable treatment from his administration.
Despite the Supreme Court decision, importers are still subject to a separate blanket 10% tariff imposed under Trade Act of 1974 authority known as Section 122.
That provision allows a president to impose tariffs of up to 15% for 150 days to address trade imbalances or economic concerns. Trump has threatened to raise the tariff rate to 15% but has not yet done so.
The administration is also exploring whether it can repeatedly restart the 150-day tariff window without congressional approval.
Jamieson Greer, the U.S. trade representative, suggested Tuesday that the administration believes Section 122 could potentially be reused.
“When you look at that statute, it says they expire, but doesn’t say when you can redo it,” Greer said during remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Greer acknowledged there was “some tension” in the law’s temporary limits but questioned whether Congress would attempt to block the administration from renewing the tariffs.
The dispute highlights the continuing legal and political fight over presidential tariff authority, as Congress traditionally holds constitutional power over trade policy while presidents have increasingly relied on emergency powers to impose duties unilaterally.
