FedEx is suing the U.S. government to get back the money it paid in emergency tariffs after the Supreme Court ruled those trade taxes illegal. The lawsuit was filed Monday in the U.S. Court of International Trade, and it could affect thousands of companies and the way imported goods move through U.S. supply chains.
The tariffs were put in place by the Trump administration under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The Supreme Court last week said that law did not give the president the power to impose broad tariffs. As a result, businesses that paid those duties are now trying to get their money back.
FedEx’s filing says the company has “suffered injury” from paying the tariffs and wants a “full refund from Defendants of all IEEPA duties Plaintiffs have paid to the United States.” The suit names the United States, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott as defendants.
In a statement, FedEx said supporting customers through regulatory changes is a priority and that it has taken “necessary action” to protect its rights as an importer. The company noted that no formal refund process has been set up yet by the government or the courts.
This legal move makes FedEx one of the first major U.S. companies to ask for tariff money back now that the high court has struck down the policy. Trade attorneys expect many more lawsuits as businesses push to reclaim billions in duties paid over the past year.
The question now is how refunds will actually be handed out. Some importers have already filed their own cases, and trade groups like the National Retail Federation are urging lower courts to set up a smooth refund process so companies can reinvest that money into operations, hiring, and customers.
