The US government has refunded more than $81 billion (£60.5 billion) in tariffs to businesses since October, a major difference from the $5 billion during the same period a year earlier.
As reported by The Guardian, a Treasury Department official said that the spike was almost entirely driven by the Supreme Court ruling in February, with most of the repayments issued in May and June.
The Supreme Court ruling in February found that tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act exceeded the president’s legal authority. The decision required the US government to repay importers that had paid the duties.
According to the latest US Treasury data, $49.2 billion (£36.7 billion) in tariff refunds were issued in June 2026, up from $21.9 billion in May and $1.7 billion in April.
The White House is now expected to introduce a revised package of trade measures using alternative legal powers. These new tariffs could target a range of trading partners, while the administration has also signalled tougher action on imports linked to forced labour. In June, the Office of the United States Trade Representative published a report stating that 60 economies had done too little to prohibit or enforce restrictions on the import of goods produced using forced labour, adding further uncertainty for importers and global supply chains.