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Businesses Could Claw Back Billions In Fresh Tariff Refund Battle
Take A Number: A Striking Figure In Economic News Today
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Full Bio Diccon Hyatt is an experienced financial and economics reporter. He's written hundreds of articles breaking down complex financial topics in plain language, emphasizing the impact that economic currents would have on individuals' finances and the market. He has a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Delaware.
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Published May 08, 2026
03:54 PM EDT
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Investopedia / Elizabeth Guevara
Key Takeaways
- U.S. companies paid $8.3 billion in March of a tariff that a court has now ruled was illegal.
- The ruling could set off a fresh scramble for refunds on top of the $166 billion in import taxes to be refunded from the tariffs the Supreme Court struck down in February.
- It's unclear whether consumers, who ultimately paid the tariffs, will ever see any of the money.
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Add at least another $8.3 billion to the already massive pile of money at stake in the battle over the tariffs the government collected that courts have since found to be illegal.
On Thursday, the U.S. court of International Trade ruled against the 10% global tariff President Donald Trump imposed in February after the Supreme Court struck down his "Liberation Day" tariffs.1 Although the ruling currently only bans the tariffs in Washington State where the plaintiff in the case is located, it could set off a fresh stampede of businesses seeking refunds for the import taxes. A total of $8.3 billion was collected under the newly invalid tariffs from U.S. businesses in March alone, according to We Pay the Tariffs, an anti-tariff lobbying group, citing Census data analyzed by the Trade Partnership Worldwide research group.2
What This Means For The Economy
The ongoing legal disputes over the tariffs add to the uncertainty faced by businesses about trade policy. That cloud of doubt has caused many companies to delay hiring and expansion plans, slowing down hiring and the economy.
The ruling further clouds the outlook for tariff policy, which has changed frequently since early 2025 when Trump began a campaign of raising steep tariffs on most U.S. trading partners. The tariff campaign, meant to revive U.S. manufacturing, has been chaotic for businesses to navigate. Companies are still lining up for an estimated $166 billion in refunds from the last tariff-related court battle. Meanwhile, the government is preparing a fresh round of import taxes using a different legal justification.
Another open question is whether consumers will ever see any of the tariff refund money. Economists and trade experts say importers passed most of the tariff costs along to their customers, who in turn passed them down the supply chain, ultimately to people who bought the tariffed goods at stores.
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"If I go on Amazon last year and I buy a three pack of Oral B electric toothbrushes for $19 and let's say there was $2 of tariff in that, I ultimately paid it," Pete Mento, a director of global trade management services at Baker Tilly, told Investopedia in an interview. "But it's the retailer who would go back and get that money. So do I sue Amazon for my three bucks? I don't think that'd be a very worthwhile pursuit, but ultimately, a lot of these tariffs were paid at retail. So where's their opportunity to recover the money? Amongst us trade nerds, amongst my covenant of weirdos, we talk about this all the time. We have no idea how we're going to get that money."
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- How do tariff refunds impact the federal spending deficit?
- How do tariffs impact my American household budget?
- What legal authority enabled the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs?
Article Sources
Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy.
- U.S. Court of International Trade. "Oregon et. al vs. United States."
- We Pay The Tariffs. "American Businesses Paid $8.3 Billion in Section 122 Tariffs in First Full Month of Trump's IEEPA Replacement Strategy."
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