Firms report first tariff refunds after Supreme Court ruling

Heavy-truck maker Oshkosh Corp and toy company Basic Fun have begun receiving partial refunds of import tariffs paid under the Trump administration after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the levies as illegal earlier this year.

The court-ordered refund program, totaling up to $166 billion, is among the largest government repayments to American businesses on record, affecting more than 330,000 importers that paid duties on 53 million shipments.

Oshkosh Corp and Basic Fun are among the first companies to confirm receiving electronic payments from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, The Korea Times reported Monday. Basic Fun said it received $400,000 of its $7.4 million in total refund claims.

"The issue is will the funds flow like a river or fire hose or like a stream or garden hose," Basic Fun CEO Jay Foreman said in an email. "So far, the funds are trickling out but they have started."

Customs and Border Protection is issuing refunds electronically to importers that complete required processing steps. As of early April, 56,497 importers had met those requirements — a fraction of the more than 330,000 companies that paid tariffs on 53 million shipments under the Trump-era trade policy.

The government had processed $127 billion — roughly 76% of the total owed — by early April, according to The Korea Times.

The Supreme Court struck down the Trump administration's import tariffs in early 2026, ruling them illegal and ordering the federal government to refund up to $166 billion to affected importers.

With refunds now confirmed underway, the question for tens of thousands of affected businesses has shifted from "if" to "when." Foreman's river-vs.-garden-hose comparison captures the uncertainty still facing importers waiting on the bulk of their claims.