US refunds $81bn after Supreme Court voids Trump tariffs

The US government has already paid back $81 billion in tariff revenue after the Supreme Court ruled Trump's import duties illegal, dealing a massive blow to the centrepiece of his second-term economic agenda. The refunds, revealed in newly released budget figures, are flowing to companies that imported goods hit by the tariffs — a logistical and fiscal headache the administration did not publicly flag. The scale of the repayment dwarfs most government programmes and complicates Trump's broader effort to use tariffs as a permanent revenue and leverage tool.