FedEx sues for Trump tariff refund

The global transportation and postal company FedEx has filed a lawsuit for a "full refund" for US President Donald Trump's emergency tariffs.

Trump introduced higher tariffs on most countries last April under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), but in a ruling last week the US Supreme Court said that law did not allow the president to impose the taxes on imports.

The decision has paved the way for companies to seek a refund on the additional import duties paid since they were introduced last year.

"Plaintiffs seek for themselves a full refund from Defendants of all IEEPA duties Plaintiffs have paid to the United States," FedEx said in its lawsuit.

Fedex did not say in its suit what value of a refund it was seeking. It named US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the agency's commissioner Rodney Scott, and the US as defendants.

The company said in its filing with the US Court of International Trade it had been responsible for paying the tariffs, and was seeking redress for that.

In a statement on Monday evening, FedEx said it "has taken necessary action to protect the company's rights as an importer of record to seek duty refunds" from CBP following the Supreme Court's ruling.

The BBC has approached the CBP for comment.

It's estimated the Trump administration has brought in at least an additional $130bn (£97bn) from tariffs imposed on most goods exported to the US through the IEEPA.

Speaking after the Supreme Court ruling was released, both Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the issue of refunds could drag through the courts for years.