Free Trade

Trump's Illegal Tariffs Are Finally Being Refunded. Will You Get Any of the Money?

The burden of Trump's illegal tariffs was spread across the American economy. The refunds likely won't cover all those costs.

Eric Boehm | 4.23.2026 11:45 AM

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The Trump administration is finally, slowly, beginning the process of refunding the illegal tariffs it collected over the past year, and some private companies say they will speed those refunds along to consumers.

In theory, this is a straightforward act of restitution. In practice, it reveals a more complicated—and, for many consumers, likely less satisfying—truth about tariffs.

This week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) opened a new online portal to allow companies to submit tariff receipts and request refunds. Those refunds are required because the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in February that the Trump administration did not have the legal authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which Trump used to levy his so-called "Liberation Day" tariffs last year.

In a statement, the CBP said........

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