U.S. to refund $166bn in tariffs
The U.S. plans to launch a tariff‑refund system on April 20 to repay importers roughly $166 billion in duties that the Supreme Court ruled unlawful. (reuters.com). The move is adding to trade uncertainty as trading partners hesitate—India has reportedly put major trade talks on hold until U.S. midterms, and analysts note the UK remains exposed to U.S. tariffs. (thehindubusinessline.com) (commonslibrary.parliament.uk)
The Trump administration says it will open a refund system on April 20 to repay U.S. importers about $166 billion in tariffs the Supreme Court struck down in February. (money.usnews.com) U.S. Customs and Border Protection told a federal court on April 14 that it had finished the first phase of the system, called Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries, or CAPE. The refunds cover duties companies paid under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariffs that the court found unlawful. (money.usnews.com; thompsonhinesmartrade.com) The Supreme Court ruled on February 20, 2026 that the White House lacked legal authority to use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act for the April 2025 “Liberation Day” tariffs. Advisers say the administration then shifted to other trade laws, including a 150-day tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. (kpmg.com; thehindu.com) That left trading partners trying to negotiate with a tariff structure that is still moving. India is now likely to hold back major commitments in its trade talks with Washington until the November 3, 2026 U.S. midterm elections, according to people cited by The Hindu BusinessLine. (thehindubusinessline.com) The White House had announced in February that India would face an 18% reciprocal tariff on some goods unless an interim agreement removed it for selected products. Indian officials now say the legal and political uncertainty in Washington has made the timetable harder to pin down. (whitehouse.gov; thehindubusinessline.com) Britain is in a similar bind. A House of Commons Library briefing published April 14 said the United States has imposed tariffs on most United Kingdom goods imported into the American market. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk) British business groups say the latest U.S. tariff plans would add a new 10% levy on United Kingdom goods on top of earlier measures on steel and other products. The British Chambers of Commerce said in January that exporters were already struggling with tariffs imposed last year. (britishchambers.org.uk; commonslibrary.parliament.uk) For U.S. importers, the immediate question is administrative, not legal: how fast Customs can process claims through CAPE after April 20. For U.S. trading partners, the bigger question is whether the tariff regime they negotiate this spring will still exist after the election. (money.usnews.com; thehindubusinessline.com)
