Two federal courts have found that many of the steep emergency tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump are illegal. Trump has asked the Supreme Court to reverse those decisions. If the high court rules that Trump did not have the authority to impose the tariffs, the U.S. government could be obligated to refund importers anywhere from $750 billion to $1 trillion, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after stepping off Air Force One on September 7, 2025 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images
The United States government has already collected tens of billions of dollars from President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs.”
But that money — and a lot more — could end up being refunded if the Supreme Court agrees with lower courts that many of the levies on imports from other countries are illegal.
How much could that end up being?
Anywhere between $750 billion to a whopping $1 trillion, warned Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a declaration filed with the Supreme Court last week.
That