Businesses seek Trump tariff refunds as portal hits snags, here's what to know

Just two months after the U.S. Supreme Court decided President Donald Trump's tariffs imposed globally were illegal, the process is beginning for businesses to obtain refunds. But even that has started with some difficulty.

Here's what to know to be all caught up:

What is a tariff refund?

A tariff refund is money businesses and companies get back after paying tariffs on goods imported into the U.S. Trump imposed broad tariffs on imports, resulting in additional costs for businesses. That changed when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in February that the sweeping tariffs were illegal.

How did the U.S. Supreme Court justices reach their decision?

In a report from CBS News, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act "does not authorize the president to impose tariffs. The Supreme Court divided 6-3, with Chief Justice John Roberts delivering the opinion for the court."

"(The International Emergency Economic Powers Act) contains no reference to tariffs or duties. The government points to no statute in which Congress used the word 'regulate' to authorize taxation. And until now no president has read IEEPA to confer such power," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the court's opinion along with justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett. "We claim no special competence in matters of economics or foreign affairs. We claim only, as we must, the limited role assigned to us by Article III of the Constitution. Fulfilling that role, we hold that IEEPA does not authorize the president to impose tariffs."

In simple terms, the court said Trump lacked the authority to impose the tariffs.

The three justices who dissented in the 6-3 ruling were Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. Kavanaugh was the only Trump appointee who dissented.

How does the portal work, what is the issue?

The government portal is an online filing system businesses use to seek refunds. To get refunds, businesses must submit the proper paperwork, such as customs and banking documents.

In a separate CBS News report published Monday, many users went to the government portal to file for tariff refunds only to be unable to access it because the portal says it is "experiencing high volume."

"'The system seems to have gone blinky,' Rick Woldenberg, CEO of Learning Resources, told the news outlet. '(Woldenberg's) Vernon Hills, Illinois-based company filed the 2025 lawsuit that led to the Supreme Court striking down the Trump administration's emergency tariffs in February. 'It seems like the system is overwhelmed.'"

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection website indicates refunds should start being received in 60 to 90 days.

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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 10:57 PM.