The United States government has refunded tens of billions of dollars in tariffs that were collected prior to being ruled illegal by the Supreme Court, according to budget data released on Monday.
Tariffs on imports have been a key component of former President Donald Trump’s economic strategy since his return to the White House last year.
However, in February, the Supreme Court overturned a significant portion of the additional tariffs imposed by Trump under emergency laws, determining that these laws were not intended for such purposes.
As per the latest budget data, the U.S. has refunded $81 billion (approximately €69 billion) in tariff restitutions during the current fiscal year beginning in October 2025, a sharp increase from just $5 billion (approximately €4.3 billion) during the same period last year.
A Treasury Department official noted that this dramatic increase is almost entirely due to the Supreme Court’s decision, with most refunds issued in May and June.
Tariffs Failed to Reduce U.S. Budget Deficit
Trump had portrayed tariffs as a universal solution for the economy, claiming that they would bring manufacturing back to the U.S., lead to more favorable trade agreements, and reduce the federal budget deficit.
Yet, the deficit, which had slightly decreased last year due to tariff revenues, has begun to rise again, reaching $1.367 trillion (approximately €1.170 trillion) in the first nine months of the fiscal year, a 2% increase.
The United States spent over $1 trillion (approximately €857 billion) just on interest payments related to the national debt, an increase of 14%, while military expenditures rose by 5% due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
New Tariff Announcements Expected from U.S.
The current temporary global tariff of 10% imposed by the Trump administration immediately after the Supreme Court’s decision is set to expire on July 24. However, the White House is preparing to introduce new tariffs, citing insufficient enforcement of anti-forced labor legislation and an excess of industrial capacity in other countries.
The new tariff levels are estimated to range between 10% and 12.5%. Furthermore, the United States has threatened to impose new tariffs of 25% on imports from Brazil.
Last month, Trump also threatened to introduce a 100% tariff on European countries that impose a digital tax on large American technology companies.
