Consumers may receive refunds as US tariff reimbursements reach carriers
The U.S. Treasury has repaid more than $100 billion in tariffs deemed illegal, and major shippers say they will pass a portion of those funds to customers who paid the duties.
The U.S. Treasury has returned over $100 billion in tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act after the Supreme Court struck them down earlier this year. While refunds are issued only to the importer of record, carriers such as UPS, FedEx and DHL have said they will forward part of the reimbursements to consumers who bore the original charges.
"If they get them at all, it's directly from carriers who decide to send them refunds," said Rathna Sharad, chief executive of logistics firm FlavorCloud.
UPS expects to receive about $5 billion in tariff refunds and has set up an online portal that automatically credits customers without requiring a claim. FedEx announced $800 million in refunds and provides a tracking-based portal showing the status of each shipment’s reimbursement, including interest. DHL indicated that refunds will be returned automatically once it receives government payments, though it has not created a dedicated portal.
Some retailers, including Amazon, have indicated they will identify specific import charges that can be traced to customers and will issue refunds proactively, according to CFO Brian Olsavsky.
Experts note that most shoppers are likely to recover only a fraction of the roughly $1,000 average household cost of the tariffs, as many retailers passed the duties on to consumers through higher prices rather than item-by-item charges. Trade attorney Greg Husisian warned that consumers who agreed to the posted price at purchase generally have no claim for a refund.
Class-action lawsuits seeking damages from retailers such as Amazon, Costco and Walmart are underway, but attorneys say the legal basis is uncertain and many suits may not succeed.