The customs dispute in the USA is becoming quite costly. In May 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury refunded nearly 22 billion USD in tariffs to importers.
This is not a small amount. The refunds were roughly equal to the new tariff revenues in the same month. In simple terms: What the government collected in tariffs almost entirely went back out as refunds.
The background to this is the dispute over previous U.S. tariffs that have been overturned by the courts. Overall, it concerns around 166 billion USD in tariffs that have been classified as unlawful or are now subject to refunds.
This is, of course, of interest to importers. Many companies have been paying high tariffs for months or years. Now the issue is who will get the money back, how quickly the refunds will be processed, and whether all affected companies will be treated equally.
This is exactly where the problem lies. Large companies with customs brokers and good documentation usually navigate the process more quickly. Smaller importers find it harder. They need to prove which duties were paid and whether they are eligible for refunds.
For freight forwarders and customs agents, this is a clear advisory issue. Those managing U.S. imports should inform their clients about possible refunds. At the same time, a thorough check must be conducted to ensure that the relevant customs items, import data, and documents are fully available.
In short: U.S. customs remains a mess. But this time, it’s not only about new duties but also about a significant amount of money that could flow back.