U.S. Faces $35.6 Billion Tariff Refund Bill

The United States expects to pay about $35.6 billion in tariff refunds as of May 11 after the Supreme Court ruled that certain duties imposed by the previous administration were unlawful, according to officials familiar with the matter.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been assigned to process the reimbursements, which cover importers that paid the tariffs before the court’s decision. The refunds represent a sizable hit to the Treasury and could ease costs for companies that had been absorbing the duties in recent months.

The ruling found that some of the tariffs did not comply with existing trade law, setting off a process to return money collected from affected shipments. Officials said the agency had already processed millions of entries tied to the refunds and expected most of the payments to move through in the coming weeks as administrative work continues.

For importers, the refunds could improve cash flow at a time when many businesses are still dealing with higher shipping costs, tighter margins and uncertainty over trade policy. For sectors that rely heavily on imported goods, including wine and other beverages, the reversal may also affect pricing decisions and purchasing plans if companies recover duties they had treated as permanent costs.

The refund total reflects shipments processed through May 11 and is likely to rise as more claims are reviewed. Customs officials have been working through the backlog while sorting out which entries qualify under the court’s decision and how quickly payments can be issued.