Story perspectives

US Launches $166B Tariff Refunds, States Demand Transparency

5/13/2026

Summary

U.S. Issues Refunds

The United States began issuing tariff refunds on Tuesday.
The Treasury portal received over 75,000 applications and rejected about 15% for errors.
Officials estimate $166 billion is eligible, $160 billion collected, and $35.5 billion already refunded.
Refunds could total billions for Walmart, Target and Nike and hundreds of millions for General Motors and Macy’s.
Eight Democratic state treasurers asked President Donald Trump to disclose refunds and aid households.

Summary

Whitmer Issues Refunds

Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued an order alerting 540,000 entities about tariff-refund applications.
Marlon I. Brown of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs is providing assistance.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Feb. 20 that President Donald Trump lacked authority to impose tariffs.
A U.S. Court of International Trade order set May 11 for refunds, requiring importers to register in Customs and Border Protection’s payment system for refunds processed in 60–90 days.

Summary

Flexport Refunds

Victor Schwartz received a $110,000 refund while Sarah Wells received a $10,000 Chinese refund and expects another $10,000 for Cambodian imports.
Flexport CEO Ryan Peterson reported that his clients have collectively received $137 million in IEEPA tariff refunds.
A federal judge ordered the Treasury to provide a refund-progress update by May 26, 2026.
The Trump administration appealed a Court of International Trade ruling that its new 10% global tariffs were unlawful.

Summary

UPS Files Refunds

The Consumer Price Index rose 0.6 percent in April, raising inflation to 3.8 percent.
Energy costs surged because of the Iran war, contributing to a 0.4 percent rise in prices excluding energy and food.
The tariff-refund phase applies only to entries Customs and Border Protection (CBP) finalized within the prior 80 days, and payouts may take months.
UPS, FedEx and DHL have pledged to submit tariff-refund claims for their customers, eliminating filing steps.

History

Historical Context

After President George W. Bush imposed steel safeguards in March 2002, the World Trade Organization ruled in November 2003 that the tariffs violated WTO commitments and ordered roughly $2.5 billion in refunds, forcing the U.S. to lift duties on over 1,200 shipments. The 2002-03 dispute set a precedent echoed in today’s Trump-era refund program, which now processes billions of claims.

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U.S. Issues Refunds

The United States began issuing tariff refunds on Tuesday.
The Treasury portal received over 75,000 applications and rejected about 15% for errors.
Officials estimate $166 billion is eligible, $160 billion collected, and $35.5 billion already refunded.
Refunds could total billions for Walmart, Target and Nike and hundreds of millions for General Motors and Macy’s.
Eight Democratic state treasurers asked President Donald Trump to disclose refunds and aid households.

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