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Trump admin sent $20.6B in tariff refunds so far: Court filing

By WTOP Staff
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on May 27, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — A court filing shows how businesses are getting money back from the U.S. government after the Supreme Court ruled many of President Donald Trump’s tariffs were illegal.

The Trump administration has sent out $20.6 billion in tariff refunds so far, according to a new court filing.

The filing sheds light on how tens of thousands of American businesses are starting to get money back from the federal government after the Supreme Court ruled many of President Donald Trump’s tariffs were illegal in February.

Walmart suggested last week it will cut prices for shoppers using the estimated $2.4 billion in refunds it’s owed.

“On tariffs, we are availing ourselves of the process to get refunds. We would definitely bias and try to prioritize price investment for that … we think the single best return that we can have on a $1 of capital right now is to invest in the customer and invest in price,” Walmart CFO John David Rainey said on the company’s earnings call.

Major companies like Walmart, Costco, Apple, Home Depot and General Motors have all confirmed in recent weeks they’re applying for refunds.

It’s unlikely that most companies will give money directly back to shoppers who already bought products with higher prices because of tariffs. The nonpartisan Tax Foundation estimates the tariffs that were ruled illegal cost the typical American household $700 last year.

UPS, FedEx and DHL said they will directly refund customers. UPS recently updated its website with details on how importers can claim to get money back.

In total, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has said it could owe up to $166 billion to more than 330,000 importers. The new filing notes $85 billion in refunds have been accepted so far, and the $20.6 billion represents money that has successfully gone back to importers who filed for refunds on the government’s online portal.

A U.S. trade official previously overstated the amount of money that had gone out to companies by $10 billion, the filing noted.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Thune and White House trade jabs over Trump’s controversial elections legislation

(CNN) — President Donald Trump’s criticism of Senate Majority Leader John Thune over the stalled SAVE America Act escalated Thursday, with the White House warning that the president’s “patience is running out” as Republican leaders struggle to advance the controversial voting legislation before lawmakers leave in August for recess.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump wants to see “as much of the SAVE America (Act) passed as possible” before senators leave Washington, pointing to remarks the president made at a rally in Georgia on Wednesday.“Look, the president spoke about this directly yesterday, his patience is running out,” Leavitt said during a White House briefing Thursday.The SAVE America Act would require proof of US citizenship, like a birth certificate or passport, to register to vote in federal elections. It also includes provisions for removing noncitizens from federal voter registration rolls.Critics of the bill say it could restrict voting access by creating unnecessary hurdles that will make it harder to register to vote and wrongfully disenfranchise legitimate voters.At the Georgia rally Wednesday, Trump blasted the Senate as “a place that you send things when you want them to die” and urged supporters to pressure Thune.“Everybody call John Thune. He’s the leader of the Republican party, and tell him to get this stuff approved,” Trump said.Thune pushed back on the White House’s criticism, arguing the bill lacks the votes needed to overcome hurdles in the Senate and suggesting the administration should focus its efforts on persuading lawmakers.“Instead of, you know, pointing the finger at Republicans, they might think about going after the people who are stopping it on the floor, which is the Democrats,” Thune told reporters at the Capitol Thursday. “And if there are Republicans that they think are gettable, get on the phone. Let’s get them to yes.”Thune has repeatedly said the SAVE America Act does not have sufficient support to clear the Senate. The measure would require Democratic support to reach the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.An alternative would see lawmakers voting to eliminate the legislative filibuster for this bill, something that could be done with 50 GOP votes, but more than half of the conference opposes doing that.Thune told CNN’s Manu Raju he has “fairly regular” conversations with Trump, despite the grievances aired by the president, adding, “With me, it’s more on an as-needed basis.”The exchange highlighted growing tensions between the White House and Senate Republicans over the legislation, even as GOP senators defended Thune’s leadership.Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said there was no discussion within the conference about replacing the majority leader, insisting Thune continues to enjoy broad support among Senate Republicans.“That’s not something we’re talking about. I’ve heard nobody talk about that,” Kennedy said.Kennedy said he understood both Trump’s and Leavitt’s frustration with the bill’s lack of progress, but argued Thune was not responsible for its stalled status.“I’ve seen no indication that Senator Thune does not support the SAVE Act — and let me put it more categorical, John Thune supports the SAVE Act, but we have some members who do not,” Kennedy said.“And that’s why God made votes, and we voted four or five times, and it’s come up short. I’m ready to vote again and take another crack at it through reconciliation, but again, you can’t, we can’t do that unless we take it up,” he added.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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