FedEx has announced it will refund customers for tariffs paid on international shipments if it is successful in its lawsuit against the Trump administration. The move follows a US Supreme Court ruling against many of the former president's tariffs.
The company filed suit days after the court's decision, seeking to recover duties it paid on behalf of its clients. In a statement on its website, FedEx said its intent was "straightforward": to issue refunds to the original payers if it receives money back from the government.
Legal Action and Consumer Impact
"Our intent is straightforward: if refunds are issued to FedEx, we will issue refunds to the shippers and consumers who originally bore those charges," the company stated. Currently, there is no established timeline or process for handling such refunds, as FedEx awaits "future guidance from the government and the court."
Rival shipping firm UPS, which had not revealed plans to seek tariff refunds as of last Friday, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. FedEx is among numerous companies now suing to recover some or all tariffs paid during the Trump administration.
Widespread Disruption from Tariffs
Many US consumers have been directly affected by these tariffs through international shipments handled by carriers like UPS and FedEx. Some individual customers and businesses experienced packages held at customs for weeks or attempted to dispute charges they believed were incorrectly calculated, including instances of a 200% rate applied to Russian aluminium.
The Supreme Court's ruling against the constitutionality of many Trump-era tariffs has opened the door for such legal challenges and potential refunds, marking a significant shift in the post-administration financial landscape for international trade.