Business & Markets
FedEx and UPS begin passing tariff refunds back to import customers
The credits apply to a narrower group than the total pool of importers because most households paid tariffs indirectly through higher retail prices.
Executive summary
- The refunds: FedEx, UPS and DHL have begun passing government refunds to customers who directly paid IEEPA tariffs on imported packages.[1][2][3]
- The scale: About $100 billion has been refunded to companies so far; FedEx said it was processing $800 million for customers.[1]
- The timing: Refunds are arriving in phases as Customs and Border Protection processes claims, and the carriers say eligible customers generally do not need to file a separate application.[1][2][3]
- The limit: Consumers who absorbed tariffs through higher product prices rather than a direct carrier charge generally will not receive an automatic carrier refund.[1]
Some U.S. customers who paid a tariff bill when an overseas package arrived are beginning to receive credits from the delivery companies that collected the charge. FedEx, UPS and DHL are returning money after the government refunded tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and later struck down by the Supreme Court.[1][2][3]
Roughly $100 billion in tariffs has been refunded to companies through the process established by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to The Associated Press. FedEx said it had begun issuing $800 million in refunds to customers who originally paid the duties, while UPS said it had paid about $5 billion on clients' behalf and sought $500 million in an initial claims phase.[1]
The carriers say eligible refunds are generally being returned to the original payment method or account without a separate consumer application. FedEx also provides a tracking-number lookup, and UPS has told customers that timing depends on when Treasury reimburses the company and completes the associated records review.[1][2][3]
The process does not mean that every household affected by tariffs will receive money. Large retailers often paid duties themselves and recovered the cost through a higher product price, leaving the commercial importer — not the shopper — as the legal claimant. Direct carrier credits are most relevant when the buyer was separately billed at delivery.[1]
Refund volume and timing will continue to depend on Customs and Border Protection's processing of claims. Customers should treat a carrier's portal or account credit as the authoritative record of eligibility and be wary of unsolicited messages seeking bank credentials or fees in exchange for a refund.[1][2][3]