Feb. 23, 2026 — Manhattan, N.Y. FedEx Corp. filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade against U.S. Customs and Border Protection, its commissioner Rodney Scott and the United States, seeking a “full refund” of all tariffs the company paid on imported goods under President Donald Trump’s emergency tariffs imposed using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The filing came days after the Supreme Court ruled the tariffs exceeded presidential authority.
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Friday, deeming the IEEPA tariffs illegal as Trump overstepped his powers by imposing them on goods from nearly all U.S. trading partners as emergency measures.
In the complaint, FedEx lawyers stated:
“Plaintiffs seek for themselves a full refund from Defendants of all IEEPA duties Plaintiffs have paid to the United States.”
“Typically, when goods enter (i.e., are imported into) the United States, the importer of record pays an estimated duty.”
FedEx, which handles 17 million packages daily across hundreds of countries, acted as the importer of record for affected goods and paid the duties, according to the filing cited by news outlets.
The tariffs, later rescinded, prompted FedEx to warn of a potential $1 billion impact on fiscal 2026 earnings. Broader implications include over $175 billion in U.S. tariff collections now potentially eligible for refunds, with experts anticipating a flood of similar suits.
FedEx chief customer officer Brie Carere noted in September the strain on customers:
“From a customer perspective, it has been a very stressful period… particularly challenging for small exporters.”
This marks the first refund lawsuit by a major corporation since the Supreme Court decision, though companies like Costco, Revlon and EssilorLuxottica have filed related cases using the same law firm.
The story first broke on X, with posts garnering thousands of views debating taxpayer impacts and precedents.
Local coverage from Memphis, FedEx’s headquarters city, highlighted the company’s demand for refunds. The White House did not respond to comment requests, and the case’s resolution, including refund processes, will be determined by lower courts.
