US Repays $100bn in Unlawful Trump Tariffs

Donald Trump’s administration has repaid about $100bn (£78bn) in “Liberation Day” tariff refunds to businesses through US customs officials, according to a recent court filing.

The repayments account for roughly 60% of all tariff revenue collected by the government under the policy, according to the filing from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

More money is still outstanding. Nearly $29bn in potential refunds remains under review by trade authorities, while a further $1.6bn is being held up because some importers have not yet provided their banking details.

Court Ruling Clears The Way For Refunds

The CBP repayments follow a Supreme Court decision in February that found broad import tariffs introduced under economic powers were unlawful.

In that ruling, judges said the tariff measures could not be justified under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a 1977 law cited by the White House. The act allows the president to “regulate” trade in response to an emergency.

Firms and trade partners had raised concerns that the tariffs imposed abrupt tax rises on shipments entering the US, and that the levies could push up consumer prices.

How Tariffs Move Money And Who Can Claim

Tariffs are taxes applied to goods when they enter a country. They are not paid by foreign governments or overseas exporters, but by domestic businesses and importers at the point of customs clearance.

Because higher tariffs increase costs up front, companies typically seek to recover the extra expense through higher retail prices.

Under US customs law, refunds are available only to importers that directly paid the tariffs. That means any relief for consumers depends on whether and how businesses choose to pass the payments on.

Amazon Repayments And Planned Consumer Relief

Since the Supreme Court decision, several major US corporations have begun claiming refunds.

Amazon received about $600m in refunds during the second quarter, the company’s finance chief Brian Olsavsky said. Speaking on an earnings call, Olsavsky said some of the money would be returned to customers where specific charges were applied. He added that the remaining funds would be used to support lower prices for items sold in Amazon stores.

CBP’s filing said the overall amount expected to be refunded is likely to increase as officials continue reviewing pending claims and importers provide missing banking information.

New Tariffs After The 10% Levy Expired

After the February ruling, Trump introduced a 10% universal tariff as a temporary measure. That tariff expired late last month.

It was replaced by new tariffs covering 60 trading partners, based on claims that key economic partners had failed to properly tackle forced labour. The tariff changes followed a separate move in which Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Canada a few days earlier.

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6 August 2026