FedEx Promises Customer Refunds from Overturned Trump Tariff Payments

The shipping giant says it will pass along any tariff refunds it receives to the customers who originally paid those costs. This comes after the Supreme Court declared certain Trump-era tariffs illegal, opening the door for over 1,000 companies to seek refunds.

The shipping giant FedEx announced Thursday it plans to pass along any tariff refunds it receives to the customers and businesses who originally shouldered those costs.

The company’s pledge follows its legal action in the U.S. Court of International Trade seeking reimbursement for tariffs imposed during the Trump administration through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Last Friday, the nation’s highest court declared these IEEPA tariffs unlawful.

FedEx joins more than 1,000 businesses pursuing legal remedies in the trade court to recover money spent on the now-illegal tariffs, with major retailers like Costco and Revlon among those seeking compensation.

“If refunds are issued to FedEx, we will issue refunds to the shippers and consumers who originally bore those charges,” the company stated Thursday. “When that will happen and the exact process for requesting and issuing refunds will depend in part on future guidance from the government and the court.”

The high court’s decision left unresolved how companies and consumers who paid these tariffs would actually receive their money back.

Establishing a refund mechanism will likely take considerable time. Earlier this week, the Liberty Justice Center, which advocates for limited government and represented some original plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case, announced it filed coordinated legal motions with attorney Neal Katyal in both the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the trade court to begin creating a refund process. Federal officials must respond by Friday.

“We are committed to transparency and will communicate clearly as additional direction becomes available from the U.S. government and the court,” FedEx added in its statement.