FT: US businesses seek $160 billion in refunds following Supreme Court ruling

More than 900 companies have filed lawsuits against the United States government seeking refunds after the Supreme Court of the United States struck down US President Donald Trump’s tariff regime, in a legal battle that could cost the administration more than $160 billion.

The dispute threatens a key revenue stream that Trump had pledged to use for multiple purposes, including income tax refunds and reducing the national debt. Legal experts say the growing number of claims could inject renewed uncertainty into US trade policy and federal finances, The Financial Times reports.

The wave of litigation follows a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court declaring the duties illegal, intensifying pressure on the government to return billions of dollars in tariff revenue collected since last year. The contested tariffs had been imposed on a wide range of countries and were a central feature of Trump’s second-term economic agenda

Companies across sectors are moving swiftly to seek repayment of duties they say they were forced to absorb. Logistics giant FedEx became the first major American corporation to sue the government on February 23, shortly after the court’s decision invalidated the tariffs.

Neal Katyal, the attorney who argued against the tariffs on behalf of US-based businesses before the Supreme Court, announced the creation of a task force on February 24 aimed at securing refunds for affected companies. Katyal, a partner at Milbank in Washington and a former acting US solicitor-general under former President Barack Obama, has handled several high-profile cases before the court.

“We are going to fight tooth and nail to make sure this money is given back quickly with no games and reservations about it,” Katyal told the FT in an interview.

The tariff lawsuits form part of a broader surge in legal challenges to Trump-era policies, spanning issues from trade and immigration to civil rights and environmental regulation. According to an analysis of court data by the Financial Times, more than half of these cases have resulted in rulings against the administration.

By Sabina Mammadli