U.S. companies could stand to get billions back in tariff-related refunds after the Supreme Court ruled against President Trump’s signature
Feb. 20, 2026, 3:17 PM MST
By Hannah Parker
The Supreme Court’s decision to strike down many of the Trump administration’s tariffs has opened a question with a potentially lucrative answer: Will businesses — and maybe even consumers — get any money back?
The short answer: Who knows.
In its lengthy opinion Friday, the court did not offer clear next steps on refunds — something Justice Brett Kavanaugh did note in his dissenting opinion.
“The Court says nothing today about whether, and if so how, the Government should go about returning the billions of dollars that it has collected from importers,” Kavanaugh wrote. “But that process is likely to be a ‘mess,’ as was acknowledged at oral argument.”
Hundreds of companies, including major retailer Costco, have already filed lawsuits to get refunds on money they paid toward Trump’s tariffs.
According to the December data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, about $130 billion has been collected from Trump’s tariffs implemented under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act. One estimate from the University of Pennsylvania found that total could now be more than $175 billion, according to Reuters.
Economists noted that the process for companies to get refunds on duties paid is unclear. But U.S. businesses that might be eligible for a refund aren’t the only ones that have taken on the economic brunt of Trump’s tariffs.
