The Trump administration has begun distributing approximately $100 billion in refunds related to tariffs that were invalidated by the Supreme Court. These duties were originally imposed in 2025 under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, before the nation’s highest court determined the law did not authorize such tariffs. A federal judge subsequently ordered the government to return the collected revenue to affected importers.
According to a recent court filing, the administration has processed refunds covering a portion of the roughly $166 billion collected through the disputed tariff program. U.S. Customs and Border Protection established a tracking system called CAPE to manage the refund process, which has received hundreds of thousands of applications from importers seeking reimbursement on millions of import entries.
Despite the court setback, the Trump administration has pursued alternative legal avenues to reinstate similar tariff measures. These new approaches are already facing legal challenges from importers. President Trump has expressed frustration with the court rulings but indicated the administration intends to proceed with tariffs under different legal authorities, noting the economic benefits he attributes to the duties.
The refund operation remains incomplete, with more than 330,000 importers still potentially eligible for reimbursement. A pending lawsuit raises questions about whether smaller businesses face barriers accessing the refund system, though the government disputes the validity of the claims.
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