A free Flexport calculator lets importers upload their customs data and see potential IEEPA refund figures.
What’s happening: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on 20 February 2026 that tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) are unconstitutional. Logistics provider Flexport has released a free Tariff Refund Calculator to help importers estimate what they may be owed, pegged directly to the ruling.
In a 6-3 decision written by Chief Justice John Roberts, the Supreme Court held that IEEPA, a 1977 statute, does not grant the president authority to impose tariffs. “IEEPA contains no reference to tariffs or duties,” Roberts wrote, adding that no previous president had ever read the law as conferring such power.
The ruling invalidates tariffs applied to Canada, Mexico, China, and the broader roster of trading partners targeted by the April 2025 “Liberation Day” executive orders. Tariffs imposed under Section 232 and Section 301 of the Trade Act remain in place, as do rates locked in through bilateral agreements such as the flat 15 per cent arrangement with the United Kingdom.
What could be refunded
Economists from PNC Financial Services Group estimate total refunds could approach $150 billion. The Yale Budget Lab noted that $142 billion in IEEPA tariff revenue was collected over 2025.
Refunds apply only to IEEPA tariffs, which include levies commonly known as “fentanyl,” “trafficking,” “reciprocal,” and “baseline” tariffs, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Section 232, Section 301, anti-dumping, and most-favoured nation tariffs are excluded. Only importers of record who directly paid the duties, or the consignee who took ownership of goods after customs clearance, are eligible to claim.
See the case file: V.O.S. Selections v. United States
The Supreme Court’s ruling was silent on whether refunds will be paid or how. The refund process is expected to be handled by the Court of International Trade, and trade experts have told CNBC the timeline could stretch to months or years.
How the calculator works
Ahead of the ruling, Flexport launched a free Tariff Refund Calculator to help importers put a number on their potential exposure. Businesses can upload their U.S. Customs and Border Protection entry data, and the tool estimates how much they may have paid in affected IEEPA tariffs and what portion could be refundable.
“If your customs broker is having trouble accurately calculating the customs duties on your products this week, it’s probably because of this change. The product at https://tariffs.flexport.com remains free to use for importers and exporters as well employees of CBP and other government agencies” said Ryan Petersen, founder and chief executive of Flexport.
The free version provides automated analysis of entry data, identifies eligible IEEPA tariffs, and highlights the top five entries by potential refund amount. A sample data demo is also available for businesses that want to see the tool before uploading their own records. Flexport notes the calculator is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or customs advice.
What comes next
Timing is a real constraint. Under U.S. customs law, protests for entries that have already been liquidated must generally be filed within 180 days of the liquidation date, according to legal analysis from BDO. Entries subject to the first round of IEEPA tariffs, imposed in February 2025, have already been reaching liquidation.
Beyond the tariffs themselves, billions more are tied up in customs bonds and collateral. U.S. Customs told CNBC it identified over 24,000 bond “insufficiencies” valued at nearly $3.6 billion, double the 2019 level, as inflated tariff values pushed importers into larger bond requirements. The ruling marks a legal turning point. For businesses wanting to understand what it means for their bottom line, the calculator is a practical starting point before the formal claims process takes shape.
