Government had been forced to pay back duties to companies that imported goods into the US that were hit by Trump’s tariffs
The US government has already paid back tens of billions of dollars in tariffs it collected before the supreme court ruled them illegal, according to budget figures released on Monday.
Tariffs – taxes on imported goods – have been a key part of president Donald Trump’s game economic plan since he took office again last year.
But in February, the supreme court shut down a big chunk of the extra tariffs Trump ordered, forcing the government to return money to the companies that had paid them.
According to the budget data, the US has paid out $81bn in tariff refunds so far this fiscal year, which started in October 2025, compared to just $5bn during the same stretch last year.
A Treasury department official told reporters that the spike is almost entirely because of the supreme court decision, with most of the refunds happening in May and June.
That’s just the thing: the people aren’t seeing a dime of this.
The companies that raised prices to compensate, often by more than the tariffs so that their profit margins increased, are the ones being paid.
They made record profits while bilking you at the cash register, and now they’re getting awarded for doing so with your tax dollars.
… and companies will keep their prices high because, “That’s what people are willing to pay”.
No, it’s what people were extorted into paying. But … potato, potahtoe.