Consumers who purchased goods from overseas vendors last year may find an unexpected credit in their bank accounts, as shipping companies that served as customs brokers begin passing along tariff refunds issued by the US government. FedEx and UPS, among other carriers that handled customs processing for imported packages, have started returning the refunds to the customers who originally paid the tariffs.

A Refund Process Rooted in a Supreme Court Ruling

The refunds mark the final stage of a process that began in February, when the Supreme Court struck down sweeping tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump in March 2025 under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a 1977 law. The tariffs had applied to goods from nearly every country. Following the ruling, the court ordered the federal government to return the tariffs it had collected under the policy.

To date, roughly $100 billion in tariffs has been refunded to companies that paid them, processed through a system established by US Customs and Border Protection.

Refunds Won’t Match What Households Actually Paid

Consumers should not expect the refunds to offset the full cost of the tariffs, since most of that cost was passed along indirectly through higher prices rather than paid directly by individual shoppers. According to the Tax Foundation, a Washington-based organization that studies tax policy, the tariffs amounted to an average tax increase of $1,000 per US household in 2025.

Even so, some consumers stand to recover a portion of what they paid, as shippers including UPS, DHL and FedEx begin issuing direct refunds. The companies have said refunds are being distributed on a rolling basis, tied to the date the original tariff payment was made, as they receive funds back from the government.

How the FedEx Refund Process Works

FedEx said it has begun processing $800 million in tariff refunds it received from the federal government, returning that money to the customers who originally paid it. The company said affected customers do not need to submit an application to receive a refund. Instead, customers can enter the tracking numbers of their purchased items into a dedicated portal on FedEx’s website to check whether they are owed money.

What Comes Next

With refunds continuing to roll out on a phased basis, consumers who made overseas purchases in the past year may want to check with the shipping companies involved in those transactions, including FedEx, UPS and DHL, to determine whether they are eligible for a direct refund tied to the now-invalidated tariffs.