No lawsuits required: U.S. Customs is working on a system to refund tariffs [View all]

Source: NPR

March 6, 2026 2:54 PM ET


U.S. customs officials say they're working on a system to deliver tariff refunds, and they hope it'll be up and running within 45 days.

Since the Supreme Court struck down many of President Trump's tariffs last month, the companies that paid those import taxes have wondered when and how they would get their money back.

Many small business owners have been worried about having to file individual lawsuits to get their refunds because lawyers have suggested that might be the case. Those fears aren't unfounded given that Trump and other administration officials have repeatedly suggested that the refund process could get bogged down in litigation.

On Friday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials told the U.S. Court of International Trade that the agency's computer system is not equipped to immediately process the crush of refunds, but that it's working on a streamlined process that would not require importers to file individual lawsuits. The agency expects it will use the same electronic portal that importers already rely on to track or correct their customs filings.

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2026/03/06/nx-s1-5739361/tariff-refunds-customs-lawsuits-trade-court