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CBP has been delaying the return of $166 billion in illegal tariff funds to American businesses and consumers.

Trump’s tariffs have cost families an average of $2,500. 

July 1, 2026 - Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has sent a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) demanding answers on the Trump Administration’s delayed rollout of refunds for the $166 billion in tariffs illegally collected from American importers, businesses, and consumers.

Text of Letter (PDF)

Nearly two months after the Supreme Court ruled that President Trump’s International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)-based tariffs were illegal, the Administration has directed the Treasury Department to disburse just $24 billion in refunds—less than one-third of the $95 billion in refund applications CBP has already accepted and only a fraction of the total amount Americans are owed. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice is appealing the court order requiring the Administration to issue remaining refunds, creating even more uncertainty for businesses and consumers waiting to get their money back.

“After the Supreme Court ruled President Trump’s tariffs were illegal, the Administration should have done everything in its power to quickly return that money to the Americans who paid it,” wrote Senator Warren. “Instead, it has slow-walked the refund process while searching for new ways to keep money that never belonged to the government in the first place.”

After promising to lower costs for American families, President Trump imposed sweeping tariffs that drove up the price of everyday goods. Despite repeated claims that foreign countries would bear the costs, economists found that American consumers ultimately paid for roughly 95 percent of the tariffs, costing the average family an estimated $2,500.

Although CBP launched its Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) portal in April to allow companies to request refunds, businesses continue to report delays, confusion, and technical problems. The agency has also failed to explain when certain categories of importers will be eligible for refunds, while the administration continues fighting in court to avoid paying back the remaining funds.

“Even after being ordered by a court, the Administration is still searching for any way to avoid paying Americans the refunds that they are owed, and American consumers that ultimately paid for these tariffs have no clue whether they will ever see a single cent,” wrote Senator Warren.

In the letter, Senator Warren requested detailed information on the refund process, including the number and value of refund applications received, approved, denied, and paid; which categories of businesses have received refunds and which remain waiting; CAPE’s timeline for processing remaining claims, including finally liquidated entries; and what steps CBP is taking to ensure that Americans who ultimately paid these illegal tariffs receive the refunds they are owed.

Senator Warren has led the fight to protect American workers from the Trump administration’s disastrous trade agenda:

• In June 2026, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) wrote to Secretary of Commerce (Commerce) Howard Lutnick, Secretary of the Treasury (Treasury) Scott Bessent, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, asking them to explain the disappearance of tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs under the Trump administration, despite President Trump’s promise of a “manufacturing boom.”
• In June 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) released a new report titled “10 Ways President Trump Has Hurt American Workers,” detailing how President Trump has broken his promises to workers.
• In April 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) pressed U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the Trump administration’s use of tariffs to help Big Tech evade regulations that keep users safe — all while these tariffs jack up prices for American families and further decimate the manufacturing industry.
• In February 2026, at a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) called on the Trump Administration to use the upcoming joint review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to strengthen the agreement’s protections for American workers and consumers—rather than as an opportunity to secure giveaways for corporations and billionaires. 
• In December 2025, Senators Warren (D-Mass.), Luján (D-N.M.), and Smith (D-Minn.) wrote to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer urging him to publish a complete written report outlining the administration’s objectives for U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) renegotiations and reveal whether giant corporations had influenced those trade priorities.
• In June 2025, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) led members of the Senate Democratic Caucus in writing to the Secretary of the Department of Labor, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, urging the department to preserve President Biden’s expansion of the overtime threshold.
• In February 2025, at a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) questioned Mr. Jamieson Greer, then-nominee for U.S. Trade Representative, on his vision for Trump’s trade policy. Mr. Greer agreed with Senator Warren that large corporations have outsized influence on trade deals and that U.S. trade policy needs to ensure “American businesses and American workers [are] prioritized” and that any exemption program “needs to be transparent and have the rules outlined.”
  
  Source: Senator Elizabeth Warren