Key Points:
- Over 100 major companies sued the government to get tariff refunds.
- The lawsuits follow a Supreme Court ruling that struck down global tariffs.
- Importers paid more than 170 billion dollars over the past ten months.
- President Trump indicated his administration will fight the refund requests.
Following the Supreme Court decision that declared President Donald Trump’s global tariffs illegal, over 100 companies filed new lawsuits. They want the government to return the billions of dollars they paid.
FedEx, Dyson, and Dollar General joined the fight on Monday. Other famous brands like Brooks Brothers, Skechers, and L’Oreal also filed claims. These major corporations want to recoup the massive import taxes they absorbed over the last ten months.
The government collected more than 170 billion dollars during this period. The Supreme Court did not explain how the government should pay this money back. Now, the US Court of International Trade must figure out how to handle the massive pile of refund requests. The total number of tariff lawsuits recently crossed 2,000 cases.
President Trump plans to push back. He recently stated that the government will fight the refunds in court. He expects the legal battle to drag on for years. The Justice Department will announce its official next steps on Friday. This announcement will show exactly how hard the administration plans to fight.
Small businesses filed most of the early lawsuits. However, the entry of giant corporations like FedEx changes the game. Trade lawyers explain that big companies provide political safety. Small firms feel much braver about suing the government when they see powerful brands leading the charge.
FedEx promised to pass any refunded money back to its shippers and customers. Everyday shoppers cannot ask customs authorities for a refund directly. Instead, angry buyers are starting to file class action lawsuits against retailers. For example, one man sued the maker of Ray-Ban sunglasses this week to get back the extra money he paid.
