Tariffs look permanent

United States companies are starting to budget for tariffs as a lasting cost, not a short-term disruption. Fortune reported that a PricewaterhouseCoopers survey of 633 United States executives found 86% now treat tariffs as a permanent planning assumption. (fortune.com) (finance.yahoo.com) That shift is colliding with a new refund process for old tariffs. Reuters reported on April 14 that the Trump administration is preparing a system to return about $166 billion in duties after the Supreme Court struck down tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. (reuters.com) (supremecourt.gov) United States Customs and Border Protection said the first phase opens April 20, 2026, through a new Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries tool inside the Automated Commercial Environment Secure Data Portal. Importers and customs brokers will file refund requests by uploading a comma-separated values file listing eligible entry numbers. (cbp.gov 1) (cbp.gov 2) The underlying legal fight turned on a basic question: whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act lets a president impose tariffs. On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court said no in *Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump*, ruling 6-3 that the statute does not authorize tariffs. (supremecourt.gov) (scotusblog.com) Even after that ruling, companies are not acting as if tariffs are disappearing. Baker Botts said the administration has been rebuilding parts of its trade program through other authorities while Customs and Border Protection works through the refund mechanics for the invalidated duties. (bakerbotts.com 1) (bakerbotts.com 2) That is why boardrooms are treating two ideas as true at the same time: some past tariffs may be refundable, and future tariffs may still shape sourcing, pricing, and factory decisions. Fortune said executives increasingly expect import taxes to outlast the current administration, not end with it. (fortune.com) (finance.yahoo.com) The refund process itself is narrow at the start. Customs and Border Protection said Phase 1 covers requests submitted through the Automated Commercial Environment portal, and importers must have an active account with separate bank information set up for refunds before money can be processed. (cbp.gov 1) (cbp.gov 2) Law firms advising importers have told clients to start compiling entry lists now because the court fight and the customs process are moving on separate tracks. Baker Botts said the April 20 launch is only the first phase, with additional guidance and later steps still to come. (ourtake.bakerbotts.com) (cbp.gov) For companies that buy from abroad, the practical message in April 2026 is not that tariffs are gone. It is that one set of duties is headed into a refund portal while tariff planning itself stays embedded in corporate budgets. (reuters.com) (fortune.com)