Senate Democrats press Greer over refunds after $166 billion in tariffs

  • Six senators asked Jamieson Greer for a plan to refund tariff costs to consumers.
  • CBP collected roughly $166 billion under IEEPA from more than 330,000 importers.
  • The Supreme Court ruled Feb. 20 that IEEPA did not authorize the tariffs.

Six senators, including Elizabeth Warren and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, are pressing U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer for a plan to compensate consumers for tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), after the Supreme Court ruled on Feb. 20 that the law did not authorize the levies. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has opened its CAPE portal for importers and brokers to request refunds, but consumers cannot file claims directly. CBP collected roughly $166 billion under IEEPA from more than 330,000 importers. The Congressional Budget Office said most refunds would be issued during fiscal 2026, while separate reports put money already returned to companies at between $71 billion and almost $100 billion. The senators say U.S. consumers and businesses bore most of the tariff costs, citing estimates that foreign exporters absorbed about 5% and Federal Reserve research that the 2025 tariffs lifted core-goods PCE prices by 3.1% through February 2026. Walmart said it was eligible for about $2.9 billion and had received nearly all of it, while General Motors reported about $500 million in tariff relief. The lawmakers asked Greer to explain how corporate refunds would benefit consumers, disclose revenue from replacement Section 122, 338 and 301 tariffs, provide legal analysis and outline plans if those levies are struck down. They requested answers by Oct. 5.

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