A US government portal launched April 20 gives importers their first formal route to reclaim billions paid under tariffs the Supreme Court found unconstitutional. For footwear, apparel and equipment brands sourcing from Asia, the process is long — but the money is real.
US importers gained their first formal route to recovering unlawfully collected tariffs on April 20, as US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) opened an online refund portal.
The aggregate exposure is significant. More than 330,000 importers paid a combined $166 billion across some 53 million shipments. As of April 14, around 56,500 businesses had completed portal registration, with eligible claims totaling $127 billion including interest, according to CBP filings.
Not all claims qualify immediately.
The first phase covers only tariffs that remain estimated — not yet finalized — or fall within 80 days of a final accounting. Once a claim is approved, CBP says refunds will take 60–90 days to be paid out. Technical issues slowed the portal’s first day: legal advisers cited by Associated Press reported submission delays, and warned that a single ineligible line item could trigger rejection of an entire filing.
Consumer goods and footwear face a long wait behind tech
According to data from PwC cited in Euronews, technology, media and telecoms firms stand to reclaim the most, followed by industrial products and manufacturing. Consumer products — the cluster that encompasses footwear, apparel and sporting goods — ranks third alongside automotive and pharmaceuticals.
IEEPA tariff refunds — estimated exposure by sector
| Sector | USD |
|---|---|
| Technology, media & telecoms | $47.6bn |
| Industrial products & manufacturing | $39.7bn |
| Consumer products (incl. footwear & apparel) | n/q |
| Automotive | n/q |
| Pharmaceuticals | n/q |
| Total eligible claims (phase 1) | $127bn |
Source: PwC (via Euronews); CBP filings, April 2026. n/q = not separately quantified.
Businesses hold the money, consumers are unlikely to see much
Importers receiving refunds are under no legal obligation to share the proceeds with customers. Class-action lawsuits are working through the US Court of International Trade — among the defendants, Essilor Luxottica, the eyewear group behind Ray-Ban. The more direct route for individual consumers may be parcel carriers: FedEx has stated it will return refund payments to customers upon receipt from CBP.
Dive deeper
US Customs and Border Protection Office: International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) Duty Refunds
