Some consumers who purchased items from overseas vendors last year may see a surprise credit in their bank accounts. Shippers, including FedEx and UPS, have started to pass on tariff refunds to customers who originally paid the tariffs. The refunds are part of a monthslong process that began in February when the Supreme Court struck down sweeping tariffs implemented by President Donald Trump in March 2025.
Tariff Refund Process
The Supreme Court ordered the government to return the tariffs it collected, and so far, about $100 billion in tariffs have been refunded to companies who paid them. However, it’s unlikely that Americans will get back the full amount they paid in tariffs, as most were paid indirectly. In 2025, the Trump tariffs amounted to an average tax increase of $1,000 per U.S. household, according to the Tax Foundation.
Shippers have said they will return the refunds on a rolling basis as they receive them. FedEx has begun the process of issuing $800 million in tariff refunds it received from the government back to the customers that paid them. Customers don’t need to apply to receive their refund, but they can enter tracking numbers for purchased items into a portal on the FedEx website to see whether or not they are due a refund.
UPS has also applied for $500 million in refunds and said customers should get refunds one to three months after it receives reimbursement from the Treasury. DHL has filed claims for almost all eligible shipments where it served as the importer of record and is returning the refunds it has received.
Refund Distribution
Unlike shippers who collected tariffs directly from customers, most big retailers passed on tariffs in indirect ways, changing their product lineups or partly absorbing higher costs, making a consumer refund unlikely. Amazon executives said the company received $600 million in tariff refunds in the second quarter and will use the refunds to lower prices for customers.
Other large retailers, such as Best Buy and Costco, have also said they will use any refund they get to deliver value back to their customers. Some shoppers are suing to get the tariffs they paid in the form of higher prices back from companies, but the lawsuits will face difficulty in proving that the price increases were specifically tied to the tariffs.
Original reporting: NBC4 Los Angeles — read the source article.
