U.S. processed $121 billion in refunds for invalidated tariffs

The United States has processed the repayment of over $121.75 billion to companies affected by tariffs imposed under the Donald Trump administration, which were subsequently annulled by the Supreme Court. A government spokesperson confirmed to EFE on Wednesday that this figure represents reimbursements processed up to July 10.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has received 24.4 million import declarations, with approximately 16.76 million processed for potential refunds or certified returns. This processed amount constitutes more than 70% of the total estimated reimbursement of around $166 billion. The CBP stated it has "fully complied with all decisions of the International Trade Court and other courts regarding refunds under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)."

Importers or customs brokers can submit refund requests through an online system called CAPE, which was activated in April. These applications are then reviewed on an individual basis. Notably, shortly after CAPE's launch, former President Trump publicly suggested that companies should reconsider seeking recovery of the tariff payments.

In February, the U.S. Supreme Court declared the tariff system, implemented by Trump in April 2025 under the IEEPA of 1977, to be illegal. The system had established varying duties for different countries, which Trump deemed reciprocal. Following the Supreme Court's ruling, Trump criticized the decision and announced a temporary global tariff of 10% under a new legal framework, which expired at the end of July.

In an effort to maintain his tariff policies, the Republican administration subsequently announced new tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 economies. These tariffs were justified based on investigations indicating that these economies were making "insufficient efforts to combat forced labor."