FedEx moves court seeking full tariff refunds after the US Supreme Court voids Trump-era import duties.
FedEx has filed a lawsuit against the US government, seeking a full refund of import duties it paid under tariffs that were recently ruled illegal by the Supreme Court. The suit, filed against US Customs and Border Protection at the US Court of International Trade, marks the first known legal challenge by a major corporation following the landmark ruling.
Last week, the US Supreme Court struck down former President Donald Trump’s global and country-specific tariffs, holding that he exceeded his authority by invoking emergency economic powers to impose sweeping import duties. The decision delivered a significant political blow to Trump’s economic agenda and opened the door for companies to seek reimbursement.
In its filing, FedEx said it is seeking a “full refund” of the duties it paid on imported goods under the now-invalidated tariff regime. While the Supreme Court ruling addressed the legality of the tariffs, it did not provide guidance on how refunds should be processed, with one justice acknowledging that resolving repayments could become a “mess.”
The challenged tariffs had generated more than US$130 billion in revenue for the federal government, collected from importers across sectors. Several lawsuits were already pending before the court even prior to the Supreme Court’s decision, but FedEx’s action is the first by a major US corporate player since the ruling.
Following the court setback, Trump last week invoked a separate statute to impose a new 10 percent blanket duty on imports, which came into effect on 24th February. He later signalled plans to raise the new levy to 15 percent, reigniting uncertainty for global trade and supply chains.
FedEx’s lawsuit is expected to be closely watched by importers and multinational companies, as it could set a precedent for how tariff refunds are handled in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision.
Source: The Indian Express
