Stories

Thu, 05 Mar 2026

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 US trade court orders tariff refunds in setback for Trump administration

A trade court has cleared the way for businesses to receive refunds for tariffs that the Supreme Court struck down last month.

* A federal judge has ordered Customs and Border Protection to issue refunds for tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
* All importers who paid IEEPA duties are entitled to a refund, according to Judge Richard Eaton's ruling.
* The payment process remains unclear, but the decision is seen as a setback for President Trump, who opposed the refunds.
* The US Treasury Secretary has announced that the administration will implement a 15% global tariff this week, up from 10%, replacing the IEEPA tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court.
* Companies including FedEx have filed lawsuits seeking full refunds of the tariffs, which totaled an estimated $130bn (£97bn).
* Small business coalition We Pay the Tariffs has welcomed the decision as a "victory" and called for a full, fast, and automatic refund process.