The Trump Administration Refunded $100 Billion in Tariffs - Will You Get a Cut?

The Trump administration has refunded $100 billion in tariffs so far, but there's only a chance that tariff refunds may put extra cash in your pocket. As businesses that paid the tariffs receive refunds, American consumers who paid higher prices for products because of those tariffs aren't necessarily seeing that money come back to them, except in a few instances.

As the administration continues to refund the tariffs, it's possible that consumers could see several resulting changes when they shop.

The tariffs paid out so far

The Supreme Court struck down the tariffs imposed in 2025 under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA); a federal judge ordered the administration to repay the $166 billion collected in tariffs to the importers. According to a new court filing, the administration has refunded $100 billion in tariffs as of the end of July, which is about 60% of the balance owed.

How much tariffs cost consumers

Consumers may not have paid tariffs directly, but they felt their effect in inflated product prices. The Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan organization, estimated that IEEPA tariffs cost average American households $700 in 2025. Average households paid approximately $1,000 in all tariffs combined, including those that weren't ruled illegal.

Who receives the tariff refunds

The Trump administration isn't issuing refunds to consumers; it's refunding the "Importer of Record" or authorized customs brokers. These companies initially paid the tariff, so even if businesses passed tariff costs onto their customers, the businesses receive the tariff refunds.

Tariff refund requests are being processed by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection system called the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries, or CAPE. By July 31, CAPE had received 252,496 tariff refund requests. Of those requests, nearly $129 billion has been accepted for processing so far.

Businesses have a timeline of 80 days from their import entry's liquidation date to file for a tariff refund. Customs and Border Protection projects issuing refunds within 60 to 90 days after accepting a claim.

The tariff refunds that businesses have received

Several businesses have reported receiving their tariff refunds. Amazon reported receiving a $600 million refund, while Apple reported it had received a $2.2 billion refund. Apple CEO Tim Cook said he planned to reinvest the money into manufacturing and innovation in the United States. Nike received a $300 million refund.

Are businesses passing tariff refunds on to customers

Some businesses have pledged to use refunds to benefit customers. Walmart is owed approximately $2.4 billion in tariff refunds, and has suggested it may use the money to lower prices for shoppers.

Facing a class action lawsuit alleging that it should pay any government refunds to its members, Costco chief executive Ron Vachris said that the company plans to pass the money along to members "in some form."

Amazon indicated that it had absorbed most of the tariff costs, rather than passing them on to customers. However, the retailer indicated that it plans to "proactively contact" customers who, in limited instances, paid higher prices; Amazon plans to "automatically issue refunds to them."

Customers' rights to refunds for UPS and FedEx shipments

Though there's a slim chance of customers receiving a refund from retailers, customers who received imported items through UPS or FedEx may have a greater chance of receiving a refund. Customers who paid a tariff on items they received via UPS or FedEx may use the companies' websites to look up their tracking numbers. If FedEx or UPS received a refund for the tariff paid on a customer's shipment, they are supposed to send customers a refund.

According to the FedEx website, "FedEx will issue refunds, including interest received from the U.S. Treasury, for IEEPA tariffs paid to shippers and consumers who originally bore those charges once FedEx begins receiving refunds from CBP."

The UPS website reports that UPS has begun issuing IEEPA refunds to importers on a rolling basis, and UPS plans to disburse refunds within 60 to 90 days after receiving the funds from Customs and Border Protection.

Bottom line

In 2025, Trump spoke about issuing $2,000 refund checks to Americans funded by tariff revenue, but the idea was never implemented. Some retailers have recently spoken out about passing tariff refunds along to customers in the form of lower prices, but whether or not businesses follow through on that promise remains to be seen. Trump has since issued another round of global tariffs, this time implementing them under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. Small businesses and 25 states are challenging the new round of tariffs.

Many households are feeling the financial strain resulting from higher prices, so if you're having a hard time making ends meet, you're not alone. Comparison shopping, watching for sales, and even occasionally buying in bulk may help you save, but starting a side hustle to earn extra money may also help you feel financially stable sooner.

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