The Supreme Court’s decision to strike down tariffs may have handed businesses a $166 billion refund windfall, but regular Americans are learning the hard way that they won’t see a dime of it. U.S. Customs just launched its online refund portal, and the first wave of businesses rushed to claim their share.
The system is designed for the “importer of record” – usually a company, not the end customer – meaning millions who paid hidden tariff costs are hoping retailers will voluntarily pass the savings along. For most, that’s not happening. The process is so tangled in supply chains, price markups, and shifting tariff rates that businesses can’t even figure out how much of the burden they actually passed to shoppers.
