US opens tariff refund portal to reimburse billions paid by importers

The US Customs and Border Protection has launched an online portal for businesses to claim refunds of tariffs that a Supreme Court ruling determined were imposed without proper authority. About 330,000 importers paid roughly $166 billion across 53 million shipments. The first phase covers tariffs that were estimated or finalized within 80 days; refunds, once approved, take 60-90 days and will be issued in phases. As of April 14, 56,497 importers had registered and were eligible for about $127 billion (including interest). Refunds go to businesses, with consumer refunds potentially coming later through delivery firms; experts urge meticulous documentation to avoid rejection.