The United States has issued refunds for significant amounts related to customs surcharges that were later declared illegal. According to information provided by Brandon Lord, Executive Director of Commercial Programs at the Customs and Border Protection Department of Commerce, refund requests totaling approximately $128.68 billion (equivalent to 111.715 billion euros) were received by July 31. Of this amount, about $100 billion has already been returned, covering both the collected tariffs and relevant interest.
The aforementioned customs surcharges had been introduced in April 2025 by President Donald Trump, who had named the announcement 'Day of Liberation.' However, the country's highest court declared these tariffs illegal in February of this year, ruling that the White House had exceeded its authority by using the IEEPA to implement such taxes.
It is estimated that the federal government improperly collected about $166 billion (equivalent to 144.115 billion euros) before the judicial decision. As a result of this Supreme Court ruling, U.S. Customs and Border Protection began the first phase of its electronic system for processing refund requests on April 20.
Despite this, the Trump administration has sought alternative methods to maintain the punitive use of customs tariffs in international relations. In direct response to the Supreme Court's decision, a global tariff of 10% was applied with a temporary validity of 150 days. At the end of this period, in late July, the establishment of surcharges for 60 trading partners was announced. These new rates aim to penalize nations that have not prohibited the import of goods produced under forced labor. Products from countries that have adopted appropriate legislation against forced labor will be subject to a lower rate of 10%, while those with insufficient restrictions will face the higher rate of 12.5%.
