The federal government opened an online portal Monday that allows U.S. businesses to request refunds of import fees paid under tariffs imposed by President Trump but later found to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which collects tariffs on imported goods, said it will begin to process requests submitted by importers and their agents through the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries system, known as CAPE.
The Supreme Court ruled in February that the tariffs imposed a year ago by Trump on trading partners around the world under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act infringed upon tax-setting powers that properly belong to Congress. The government estimates that it collected more than $166 billion through those tariffs, based on over 53 million shipments.
Companies and trade brokers can request refunds of all IEEPA tariffs, but consumers who paid higher prices as a result of the tariffs are not eligible for relief.
Big refunds ahead: As of April 14, CBP said more than 56,000 importers had registered to apply for tariff refunds, for a total value of about $127 billion, including interest.
Major U.S. retailers will be among the largest beneficiaries. According to Citi data cited by CNBC, Walmart expects to receive a refund of about $10.2 billion, while Target could get $2.2 billion and Nike $1 billion.
The refunds are expected to take time, perhaps months, and there is still some uncertainty about how the process will work. “It would seem to be very complex and, by extension, probably not something that’s going to happen very quickly,” Walmart CFO John David Rainey said earlier this month. “We’ll certainly avail ourselves of the opportunity that we have to get a refund, but when that happens, remains to be seen.”