On Feb. 23, Federal Express (FedEx) sued the Trump administration, seeking a “full refund” of all tariffs it paid the government, which President Donald Trump imposed through the recently overturned International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) in 2025.
Previously, on Feb. 20, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Trump exceeded his executive powers when he issued the IEEPA to increase tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners.
“FedEx’s suit appears to be the first filed by a major American company seeking a refund for tariffs after Friday’s Supreme Court decision,” CNBC reported.
“Plaintiffs seek for themselves a full refund from Defendants of all IEEPA duties Plaintiffs have paid to the United States,” the lawyers of FedEx Corp and FedEx Logistics, its associated company, said in the new lawsuit.
The 11-page filing names U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott, and the U.S. government as defendants.
"Typically, when goods enter (i.e., are imported into) the United States, the importer of record pays an estimated duty," FedEx attorneys wrote in the complaint. CBP "then fixes the final appraisement of merchandise by confirming the final value, classification, duty rate, and final amount of duty for the imported goods."
The proceedings do not specify how much FedEx has paid in IEEPA tariffs. However, during recent quarterly earnings reports, executives stated that the company would incur a $1 billion hit on its earnings for the fiscal year.
The FedEx website provided additional information on the suit, noting that “while the Supreme Court did not address the issue of refunds, FedEx has taken necessary action to protect the company’s rights as an importer of record to seek duty refunds from U.S. Customs and Border Protection."
Before the Supreme Court’s decision, other companies also filed suits against the Trump administration seeking full refunds from the tariffs imposed under the IEEPA. The Costco Wholesale group filed its complaint in December 2025, which remains pending at the U.S. Court of International Trade located in New York, the same court where FedEx has filed its current proceedings.
