Billions in US tariff refunds available — why companies may not claim them | DW News

Added: 2026-04-30

[00:00:00]Billions in tariff money are back on the table, but some companies are thinking twice about collecting the cash.

[00:00:05]Businesses that paid President Trump's tariffs can now apply for refunds after the US Supreme Court ruled the levies illegal in February. The government has launched a new online portal to process 166 billion in refunds. They are tied to $330,000 importers and 53 million shipments. The system called Cape is designed to streamline refunds into a single electronic payment. Companies that directly paid the tariffs are allegible, including firms based outside the United States. Consumers who paid higher prices won't see a scent, though.

[00:00:35]The refunds flow only to the importers.

[00:00:38]But filing a refund comes with some obstacles. Early users report problems like strict name matching rules and having to enter bank details again the government already has. And with thousands expected to find at once, companies worry the system could be overwhelmed. I think we paid uh about $11 million and so we expect to get that money back with interest. So we we sued in uh in April of last year. We had a hearing in November at the Supreme Court and the decision came down on February 20th which invalidated all the AUPA tariffs that were declared unlawful and our case was almost a proxy for the continuing validity of rule of law. Then there's politics. President Trump warned that companies asking for refunds could face consequences. So major retailers including Apple, Amazon, and Walmart have so far kept a low profile even though billions are at stake. Apple alone says tariffs increased its cost by about $3.3 billion last year.

[00:01:37]>> Now he has um imposed section 122 tariffs of 10%. That's less than it was last year. So, I guess uh it feels better in the sense that if you're hitting yourself on the head with a hammer, it feels better when you stop.

[00:01:53]It doesn't mean everything's okay.

[00:01:55]Payments aren't expected for 60 to 90 days, and legal appeals could still slow the process.