FedEx Sues Trump Administration for Refund of Illegal IEEPA Tariffs

FedEx has filed suit in the U.S. Court of International Trade seeking a full refund, with interest, of all duties it paid under President Trump’s now‑invalidated tariffs imposed via the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The complaint is the first major corporate case explicitly asking Customs and Border Protection to return IEEPA duties after the Supreme Court ruled last week that Trump exceeded his authority by using emergency powers to levy sweeping global tariffs, but left open whether payers are entitled to refunds. FedEx argues the trade court has jurisdiction to order remedial relief for importers injured by the unlawful tariffs and cites an expected $1 billion 2025 profit hit from Trump’s trade policies, while saying it is acting to protect its rights and support customers navigating regulatory changes. The case comes as legal experts anticipate a wave of similar refund claims from both large firms like Costco, Revlon and Bumble Bee Foods and small importers that challenged the tariffs, potentially exposing the government to billions in repayment obligations. In response to the Supreme Court setback, Trump has already imposed a new temporary 15% global tariff using a different 1974 trade statute, so the FedEx suit targets only the now‑illegal IEEPA‑based duties and not tariffs still in force under other laws, such as those on steel, aluminum and some vehicles.