July 14, 2026, 3:43 p.mJuly 14, 2026, 3:43 p.m
Donald Trump imposed tariffs on various countries – now the US government has to pay back billions. (archive image)Image: keystone
After the landmark Supreme Court ruling, the US government under President Donald Trump has paid back billions in tariffs.
In total, around 81.3 billion US dollars (almost 65 billion francs) were reimbursed from October 2025 to the end of June, according to data from the Ministry of Finance. In the same period last year, the total was just under $5.3 billion.
According to the US Congressional Budget Office (CBO), around $70 billion was refunded in May and June alone after the US Supreme Court declared tariffs unlawful under an emergency law in mid-February. The Supreme Court found that President Trump exceeded his authority when he imposed sweeping tariffs on dozens of trading partners.
At the same time, the US government significantly increased its customs revenues in the current fiscal year. In the first nine months (October to June), it collected around $163 billion in net tariffs, $55 billion more than in the same period last year. This corresponds to an increase of around 51 percent. (sda/awp/dpa)