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On Feb. 20, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the tariffs President Trump imposed using a statute meant for national emergencies exceeded his authority, stating that the power to levy tariffs belongs to Congress. Now, businesses are wondering if they’ll get refunds for the months they paid those duties.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury had collected about $133 billion in tariffs. Although the Trump administration repealed most coffee-related tariffs in November, the damage was already done. Importers and roasters spent months trying to navigate a market where costs rose by 10% to 50%. Many coffee companies ate some of the costs, while others had to pass on price increases to consumers.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court hinted that companies may be refunded the tariffs they’ve paid. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in his dissent that any such process would be “a mess.” Trump told reporters last week that refunds could take up to five years to be processed.
A coalition of small businesses called We Pay The Tariffs has drafted an open letter urging Congress “to deliver full, fast, and automatic refunds,” Zac Cadwalader reports for Sprudge. More than 800 small businesses have signed the letter so far, including several coffee businesses.
Ron Kurnik, owner of Superior Coffee Roasting Co. in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, told the Associated Press that he was happy about the Supreme Court’s decision, but he doesn’t expect to ever see a refund. “It’s like a nightmare we just want to wake up from,” Kurnik said. Superior raised its prices twice since the tariffs first went into effect in April 2025.
On the day the Supreme Court handed down its decision, Trump announced he’d impose a new 10% global tariff, which he then raised to 15%.
For Brazilian instant coffee manufacturers, at least, the new rate is an improvement. They were among the few coffee-related sectors still subject to the full 50% tariff originally imposed on Brazilian goods.
“The situation was getting worse month after month in sales with what is Brazil’s largest instant coffee customer,” Aguinaldo Lima, executive director of the Brazilian Instant Coffee Industry Association, told Datamar News. “Now we are entering a new level—whether the tariff is 10% or 15%—but one that puts all suppliers on equal footing.”
Read the full story to see if coffee roasters will get a refund at Sprudge here.
