FedEx and UPS say they will return tariff refunds to customers

By
Published  April 29, 2026 8:53am CDT
FOX Local

FILE - Cargo planes are parked at Cologne Bonn Airport. Photo: Henning Kaiser/dpa (Photo by Henning Kaiser/picture alliance via Getty Images)

The Brief

    • FedEx and UPS have said they will pass along their tariff refunds to the customers that paid them.
    • Businesses are in the initial phase now of applying for tariff refunds, which could take 60-90 days to be issued.
    • Businesses are not obligated to share refund proceeds with customers.

Two major delivery companies in the United States are vowing to share tariff refunds.

Both FedEx and UPS have said they will pass along their tariff refunds to the customers that paid them. 

UPS tariff refunds

What they're saying:

"For shipments where UPS was the IOR (Importers of Record), we will work to request and retrieve IEEPA tariff refunds from CBP on our customers' behalf," UPS said. 

"There is no need for those customers to contact UPS. After we receive the funds from CBP, we have established a process to issue refunds to the payors."

By the numbers:

According to Reuters, UPS CEO Carol Tome said in a post-earnings investor call ‌that ⁠the company had collected about $5 billion worth of tariffs from its customers.

RELATED: Tariff refund system launches today: Here’s who it’s for

FedEx tariff refunds

What they're saying:

"If refunds are issued to FedEx, we will issue refunds for IEEPA tariffs paid to the shippers and consumers who originally bore those charges," FedEx said.

Earlier:

FedEx was one of the hundreds of companies that filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade to protect its right to a refund in efforts to recoup costs from the illegal tariffs, including large U.S. corporations like Costco and Revlon.

Tariff refund system

Meanwhile:

Businesses could begin claiming refunds on April 20 for President Trump’s tariffs that were ruled unconstitutional. 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is issuing the refunds, and businesses are not obligated to share the proceeds with customers. Although some class-action lawsuits have been filed in hopes of forcing companies to reimburse shoppers.

By the numbers:

Estimates say about $166 billion was collected in now-illegal tariffs, but not all of it qualifies for the first phase of the refunds.

It’s unclear right now what or when the next phase of the refund system’s rollout may be. 

Timeline:

If CBP approves a claim, it will take 60-90 days for a refund to be issued, the agency told The Associated Press. 

The Source: Information in this article was taken from statements and FAQ pages on FedEx and UPS websites. Background information was taken from Reuters. The Associated Press and previous FOX Television Station reporting. This story was reported from Detroit.

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