Consumers who bought items from overseas vendors last year may be eligible for a surprise credit: tariff refunds. Shippers like FedEx and UPS, which acted as customs brokers for imported packages, have started passing on tariff refunds to customers who originally paid the tariffs.

Tariff Refund Process

The refunds are part of a months-long process that began in February when the Supreme Court struck down sweeping tariffs implemented by President Donald Trump in March 2025. The court ordered the government to return the tariffs it collected, and so far, about $100 billion in tariffs have been refunded to companies that paid them.

While most consumers won’t get back all the tariffs they paid, some are getting refunds directly from shippers. FedEx, for example, has begun issuing $800 million in tariff refunds to customers, and UPS has applied for $500 million in refunds. DHL is also returning refunds to customers who paid tariffs on shipments.

Refund Distribution

Major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Costco are also receiving tariff refunds, but they may not pass them on directly to consumers. Instead, they plan to use the refunds to lower prices for customers. Amazon, for instance, received $600 million in tariff refunds in the second quarter and will use them to reduce prices.

Some consumers are taking legal action to get back the tariffs they paid in the form of higher prices. Over 80 class-action lawsuits have been filed against retailers, but the lawsuits face an uphill battle in proving that price increases were directly tied to tariffs.

Original reporting: 2news.com — read the source article.