Tariff refunds are now officially being distributed, and they may arrive shortly.

President Donald Trump’s tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were overturned by the Supreme Court in February. The historic decision has left the Trump administration responsible for over $166 billion in refunds, plus interest, due to U.S. importers who paid the tariffs that were later ruled unlawful.

Large retail chains like Costco filed lawsuits against the Trump administration seeking tariff reimbursements, although the president suggested refunds would remain entangled in legal proceedings for years. It comes as Trump announced devastating new tariffs for the EU as he made a scathing accusation.

However, matters are progressing more rapidly, as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that refunds could be issued as soon as Tuesday.

Are tariff refunds being issued?

CBP officially opened its tariff refund claims portal, called the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE), on April 20. The system enables importers to file claims for tariff reimbursements.

As of 7 a.m. Monday, CBP reported receiving 126,237 applications for tariff refunds, according to Reuters. The announcement did not reveal the total number of shipments or entries covered by those applications.

What is the total refund amount approved so far?

To date, over $35.5 billion is being returned to importers whose refund requests were approved through the portal. The agency has confirmed that 86,874 refund applications have been approved, covering 15.1 million eligible entries for reimbursement.

CBP projects that tariff reimbursements will be processed within 60 to 90 days following approval, though additional reviews could extend this timeline.

Who qualifies for tariff reimbursements?

Only importers who paid the duties directly are able to request refunds, which means individual consumers cannot submit claims. However, many retailers transferred the additional tariff expenses to shoppers rather than covering those costs themselves.

Multiple class action lawsuits have been launched by consumers seeking reimbursements from companies including Costco, FedEx and most recently Nintendo.

Approximately 300,000 different importers, among them Walmart, Target, Nike, Gap, and Home Depot, are anticipated to receive compensation from the Trump administration.

How can consumers obtain tariff reimbursements?

One avenue for consumers to secure tariff refunds is through successful class action litigation against the retailer.

Certain businesses have committed to returning duties directly to customers, including the popular card game manufacturer Cards Against Humanity, which announced it will transfer any tariff refund to buyers who have “already overpaid for everything.”

Costco similarly stated during a March earnings call that the wholesale retailer would convert tariff refunds obtained from the Trump administration into “lower prices and better values” for shoppers.

FedEx likewise noted in an announcement that it would provide tariff reimbursements to shippers and customers who covered the duties.