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Supreme Court Ruling Prompts $166 Billion Tariff Refund Process for Businesses
The Trump administration launched a digital system on Monday for businesses to claim refunds on over $166 billion in tariffs deemed unlawful by the Supreme Court. Separately, Germany initiated privatization of a seized Gazprom unit, and Hong Kong reported slow disbursement of its baby bonus scheme amid falling birth rates. These developments highlight ongoing global economic adjustments.
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The Trump administration began accepting applications from businesses on Monday for refunds totaling more than $166 billion in tariffs, following a Supreme Court ruling in February that President Trump lacked authority under a 1977 emergency statute to impose them.
The court, in a majority opinion written by Chief Justice John Roberts, determined the statute did not grant such powers. Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, both appointed by President Trump, joined the majority, while Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh dissented.
Customs and Border Protection launched a digital claims system named Cape, capable of handling about 63% of affected import filings initially, with the rest to follow. Officials built this processing infrastructure from scratch, lacking an initial mechanism for direct deposits into most importers' accounts.
Over 330,000 importers across 53 million entries are affected, according to reports from multiple sources.
Businesses can expect a 60 to 90-day wait from submitting paperwork to receiving funds. In its first phase, Cape will fully process refunds only for unliquidated entries or those liquidated within the past 80 days. Companies with goods in legal disputes, anti-dumping investigations, or other unresolved customs processes cannot claim yet.
More than 3,000 companies have sued the administration for refunds, some filing before the Supreme Court's verdict. High-profile plaintiffs include Skechers, Revlon, Toyota, Nintendo of America, FedEx, and Costco. Only companies that directly paid the tariffs qualify for refunds.
FedEx stated it will pass refunds to customers who bore the costs through shipping fees. Costco indicated it could lower prices upon receiving funds, though some shoppers are suing the retailer over the handling of potential benefits. Separately, the German government announced it will start privatizing SEFE, the local unit of Russia's Gazprom seized in 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and subsequent EU sanctions on Moscow.
