Consumers in Miami and across South Florida are beginning to receive surprise credits on their bank and credit card statements as shipping companies pass through tariff refunds ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year. The refunds stem from the court’s February 2026 ruling striking down sweeping tariffs implemented by President Donald Trump in March 2025 under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

The court ordered the government to return the tariffs it had collected, setting in motion a months-long process that has so far resulted in approximately $100 billion in refunds to companies that paid the tariffs. Now, the final stage is reaching individual consumers who originally paid the tariffs through higher prices on imported goods.

FedEx has begun issuing $800 million in tariff refunds to customers who paid them. The company has set up a portal on its website where customers can enter tracking numbers for purchased items to check whether they are due a refund. Customers do not need to apply to receive their refund, as the process is being handled automatically.

UPS, which paid $5 billion in tariffs on behalf of clients, applied for $500 million in refunds in the first phase and said customers should receive refunds one to three months after the company receives reimbursement from the Treasury. DHL has similarly filed claims for nearly all eligible shipments where it served as the importer of record.

For Miami, a major hub for international trade and e-commerce, the refunds are particularly significant. The city’s large population of international residents and businesses routinely purchases goods from overseas vendors, meaning many consumers paid the Trump tariffs directly through customs brokerage fees added to their shipments.

Amazon CFO Brian Olsavsky said the company has identified circumstances where it passed specific import charges to customers and will proactively contact affected customers to automatically issue refunds. In other cases, Amazon will use tariff refunds to lower prices for customers broadly.

The refunds do not mean Americans will recover anywhere close to what they paid in tariffs, since most were paid indirectly through higher retail prices. The Tax Foundation estimated that the 2025 Trump tariffs amounted to an average tax increase of $1,000 per U.S. household.

Meanwhile, more than 80 class-action lawsuits have been filed by customers against retailers including Costco, Nike, Amazon, and Walmart, seeking to recover price increases specifically tied to tariffs. Legal experts note these cases face difficulty because plaintiffs must prove their price increases were directly caused by tariffs rather than general inflation. None of the lawsuits have yet been certified as class actions.

Miami Times – Tariff Refunds Flowing | AP News – FedEx Tariff Refunds