U.S. senators press CBP to speed tariff refunds for small businesses

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Senators push CBP tariff refunds

Highlights

Senators Edward J. Markey and Ron Wyden demanded on June 10 that CBP immediately pay tariff refunds ordered by the April 7, 2026 court ruling.
Lawmakers raised concerns that CBP delays in refunding unlawfully collected tariffs may intentionally retain funds and redirect federal money away from congressional priorities.
Senators requested CBP disclose by June 24 the total IEEPA tariff revenue collected, refunded, and still pending, plus specifics on refund procedures and fund management.

Refund demands and court order

As detailed in a press release from the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Ranking Member Edward J. Markey and Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden sent a June 10 letter to CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott demanding that legally owed tariff refunds be paid without further delays, obstacles or added complexity.

The lawmakers said the Court of International Trade ordered CBP on April 7, 2026 to refund unlawfully collected duties and process imports without regard to the invalid tariffs. They argue the ruling applies not only to plaintiffs in the case but to all importers of record that paid the duties, and they accuse the administration of slowing implementation from the outset.

In the letter, the senators say the refund delays raise questions about whether the administration is intentionally retaining access to unlawfully collected funds for as long as possible. They also say those concerns are amplified by reports that federal money is being shifted away from other congressionally authorized purposes toward different policy priorities.

Questions for CBP and business impact

The senators requested answers by June 24 on the total amount of IEEPA tariff revenue collected under the unlawful orders, the amount refunded to date and the value still pending, disputed or unreimbursed. They also asked CBP for its timeline for later phases of the refund process and whether importers must file individual claims, protests or litigation to receive payments covered by the court order.

Additional questions focus on whether CBP has discussed the retention, transfer or alternative use of unreimbursed tariff revenue with the Treasury Department, the Office of Management and Budget or other federal agencies. The lawmakers also ask what safeguards are in place to ensure the money is not used or committed to unrelated administration priorities before refunds are completed.

The dispute matters for small businesses because the senators say companies should not bear the cost of an unlawful tariff regime after the courts have ruled against it. Their latest intervention follows earlier calls by Markey for an automatic refund system and for large retailers and shippers to pass tariff refunds on to consumers and small businesses that absorbed the costs.

Our earlier report on IEEPA tariff fallout for U.S. agriculture outlined how lawmakers warned that the tariff regime was driving up farm input costs, adding nearly $1 billion in expenses in one stretch last year. It also highlighted broader strains on rural communities, including concerns over USDA staffing losses and operational disruptions that could slow disaster aid and other services.

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