finance
U.S. Begins Issuing Billions in Refunds for Tariffs Struck Down by Supreme Court
Federal payments began flowing on May 12, 2026, to importers hit by tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Small business owner Sarah Wells received $10,000 that morning. The government has approved nearly 87,000 refund requests totaling more than $35.5 billion so far, with roughly $166 billion ultimately owed.
May 14, 9:54 AM·2m read1 source
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U.S. began receiving federal refunds for tariffs on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. The payments cover duties imposed by President Trump in 2025 under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act that the Supreme Court struck down earlier this year.
The Supreme Court ruled in February 2026 that President Trump lacks the legal authority to impose tariffs under IEEPA. That decision set in motion the refund process now delivering billions of dollars back to importers. Sarah Wells, who owns a small business that makes accessories and apparel for breastfeeding mothers, received a $10,000 tariff refund on May 12, 2026.
M. for the first container from China, covered a 20% tariff plus interest. "My refund claim had been accepted, and I'd been checking the status feverishly to see if anything was in my bank account," Wells told CBS News.
Wells had filed claims in April 2026 for refunds of two different IEEPA tariffs, one on a shipment from China and one on goods imported from Cambodia. She expects another $10,000 federal payment for other IEEPA tariffs her business absorbed. m.
ET on Monday, May 11, 2026, the federal government had approved nearly 87,000 refund requests covering more than 15 million IEEPA duty payments, according to CBP official Brandon Lord. 5 billion including interest.
U.S. Court of International Trade in New York. Ryan Petersen, CEO of supply chain management company Flexport, told CBS News that as of Monday the company's clients had received a total of $137 million in IEEPA tariff refunds. "I'm kind of impressed the government built and launched this technology pretty quickly," Petersen said.
