Global transport company FedEx says it will redistribute tariff money to its customers if it receives refunds following the Supreme Court’s decision last Friday to block the president’s “Liberation Day” tariffs.
“At this time, no refund process has been established by the government or the court. If refunds are issued to FedEx, FedEx will then issue refunds to shippers and consumers who originally bore those charges,” FedEx said in a statement.
As the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to levy tariffs, the justices did not discuss tariff refunds. The e-commerce giant and prominent customs broker filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday seeking a full refund of revenue lost to IEEPA tariffs.
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As they wait for their refund lawsuit to play out in the court of law, FedEx said it is waiting for guidance from the federal government on how to proceed with its refunds to customers.
“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. We are committed to transparency and will communicate clearly as additional direction becomes available from the U.S. government and courts,” FedEx said.
The tangible impacts of the Supreme Court’s IEEPA tariffs decision are still largely in flux, as Trump immediately announced a global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, initially imposing a worldwide tariff at 10% and later raising it to 15%.
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FedEx is seeking refunds “on all entries subject to IEEPA duties, with interest,” as it wrote in the lawsuit complaint. The company’s lawyers did not initially specify how much money FedEx believes it is entitled to in refunds in publicly available court documents.
The company marketed the refund move as an action “to protect its rights and the rights of those customers for whom it serves as importer of record to seek duty refunds from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.”