The Trump administration refunded approximately $100 billion in tariff revenue collected under the "Liberation Day" tariff program after the US Supreme Court ruled that the tariffs were unlawful, according to a court filing reviewed by Reuters.
The Financial Times stated that the refunded amount represents roughly 60% of the approximately $166 billion collected under the tariff program before it was struck down.
The tariffs were imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) with Trump arguing that the US trade deficits constituted a national emergency requiring sweepinf import duties.
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In February 2026, the US Supreme Court ruled in Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump that the IEEPA does not authorise a president to impose broad-based tariffs, invalidating much of the "Liberation Day" tariff regime. The Supreme Court's decision upheld the lower court rulings that found the administration had exceeded the authority granted by Congress under the IEEPA.
The refunds are being processed by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which has been directed by the courts to return unlawfully collected duties to affected importers, The Financial Times reported.
Trump made tariffs a central pillar of his foreign and trade policies despite criticism from some analysts as well as legal setbacks. Critics have complained that the refunds have not reached households but have instead gone to corporate importers, Reuters reported.
"Trump is sending the 'refunds' to the companies, not working people. Every single cent of these refunds should go back to American consumers," Democratic Congressman Greg Casar said earlier this week.
The refund program is among the largest repayments of unlawfully collected import duties in US history and underscores the far reaching legal and financial impact of the Supreme Court's ruling.
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