The logistics giant aims to recover the customs fees, but the court has not yet established a refund procedure.
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Published February 24, 2026
Days after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the legal basis for the president’s plan, FedEx is suing the U.S. government seeking restitution of money the logistics giant paid for tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
The Supreme Court ruled Friday that President Trump overstepped his authority and that only the U.S. Congress has the power to impose tariffs in peacetime.
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FedEx filed suit Monday in the U.S. Court of International Trade against Customs and Border Protection and Commissioner Rodney Scott, who was tasked with collecting the tariffs imposed by President Trump under the International Emergency Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA).
In its complaint, FedEx said it was “harmed” by the tariffs and would seek a “full refund” from the U.S. government following the Supreme Court’s ruling.
According to Reuters, in September, the company predicted that the impact of the tariffs would reach $1 billion in 2026, and also announced a related decision to end tariff exemptions for small packages valued at less than $800.
Despite the court’s landmark ruling, much uncertainty remains for FedEx and other global retailers, logistics companies, and U.S. consumers.
The Supreme Court’s decision does not provide guidance on whether or how the government should refund the billions of dollars in duties it has collected over the past year under IEEPA.
Experts say it could take months, if not years, to untangle the web of tariffs and sort out refunds. Separately, President Trump promised to impose a 15% “global tariff” to replace the IEEPA tariffs.
FedEx said in a statement that while “refund procedures have not been established by regulators or courts,” it “has taken the necessary steps to protect its rights as an importer of record to seek duty refunds from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.”
The Chamber of Commerce and the National Retail Federation are among the industry groups calling for a faster refund process.
Discount retailer Costco, cosmetics brand Revlon and eyewear company Essilor Luxottica are also seeking tax refunds, according to Reuters.
President Trump upended global trade last year by waging a trade war against Canada, Mexico and China, and then expanded it to most of the United States’ trading partners, including those with existing free trade agreements.
The Yale Institute for Budget Studies estimates that as of mid-December 2025, the United States had collected $142 billion in tariffs under IEEPA. Other estimates put the figure closer to $175 billion.
Although the IEEPA tariffs have been eliminated, other tariffs remain in place, such as sectoral tariffs imposed under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
The Yale Budget Institute said consumers would face an average tariff rate of 9.1%. Although this figure is lower than the average rate of 16.9% under IEEPA, it is the highest since World War II.
