By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-18 17:53:06 | Updated at 2026-08-20 01:58:20
1 day ago
American businesses are finally starting to get money back from President Donald Trump's failed tariff policies, but who actually receives the final refund is a tricky question.
To simplify the issue, it all depends on how they bought the product.
FedEx, UPS and DHL have started passing billions of dollars in tariff refunds on to their customers after receiving reimbursements from the federal government, offering a rare chance for Americans who were directly charged the duties to get some of their money back.
FedEx alone has said it is issuing about $800 million in refunds, with the payments beginning this month.
UPS has said its first round of claims totaled $500 million, and the company expects customer refunds to arrive one to three months after it receives reimbursement.
But millions of other Americans who paid higher prices for imported goods may be left empty-handed.
That's because the refunds are made by the government to the so-called 'importer of record' – the company or shipping carrier that actually paid the tariff, rather than the shopper who ultimately absorbed the cost through higher prices.
'There's no way for consumers to get money from customs,' Rathna Sharad, CEO of international logistics company FlavorCloud, told CBS News.
Americans could be in line for refunds after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump's emergency tariffs - but most shoppers shouldn't expect a check from the government
Rathna Sharad, CEO of international logistics company FlavorCloud
Instead, consumers may only see the money if the company that received the refund decides to pass it along to them.
The payments are the latest development in a months-long effort to unwind President Trump's emergency tariffs after the Supreme Court struck them down in February.
Since then, US Customs and Border Protection has been working through refunds.
More than $100 billion has now been refunded to businesses, roughly 60 percent of the money the government owes importers, according to a recent court filing.
Now, the question for ordinary Americans is if any of that money actually will make it back to them. For people who paid tariffs directly on an international shipment, the answer could be yes.
FedEx has created a system allowing customers to check whether it has received a refund for the tariff attached to their shipment. UPS and DHL have also committed to passing eligible refunds back to customers as they receive the money from the government.
But shoppers who bought goods from a retailer face a much murkier situation.
A customer who paid $1,200 for a television, for example, may never know how much of that price reflected tariffs. The retailer may have absorbed the tariff, passed some or all of it on through the price, or changed its pricing strategy in response to the duties.
FedEx has said it is issuing $800 million in refunds to customers who were billed for IEEPA duties
DHL, meanwhile, has said its refunds will be automatic once CBP reimburses the company, with the money returned to the party that originally paid the duties
And even if the retailer receives a refund, it is not automatically required to send that money to the customer.
Amazon, for example, has said it will proactively contact customers and issue refunds in limited cases where it can trace specific import charges that were directly passed on to them.
Other companies have said they will use their refunds to lower prices or offset other costs rather than issuing individual checks.
'Getting a refund check is very different from other people not paying increased prices because of tariffs,' Eric Johnson, a Columbia Business School professor, told CBS News.
The refund process is being handled through CBP's new Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries, known as CAPE.
Importers and authorized customs brokers submit refund requests through the Automated Commercial Environment, or ACE, portal. The system allows eligible IEEPA duties – including interest – to be refunded electronically.
Businesses must have an ACE Portal account and provide CBP with bank information to receive the money through electronic transfer.
For eligible claims, CBP has said refunds generally should be issued within 60 to 90 days after a CAPE declaration is accepted, although some cases require additional review.
The system is being rolled out in phases, meaning not every tariff entry can be processed through the same system immediately. More complicated entries, including certain reconciled or finally liquidated entries, require additional steps.
