Amazon to Share Part of $600 Million Tariff Repayment With Customers

Refund Process

The company confirmed Thursday that it collected roughly $600 million in repayments of duties once the nation's highest court rejected the Trump administration's tariffs. The company says some of that money will go back to customers.

Those repayments come from tariffs levied through a 1977 statute, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In February, the Supreme Court invalidated those tariffs, forcing the government to repay duties companies paid on imported goods. Apple reported Thursday that tariff refunds boosted its earnings per share by 5%, or 11 cents, in the third quarter.

Amazon had not previously said whether it would apply for refunds. In May, a class action in Seattle's federal court argued that shoppers deserved compensation for higher prices caused by tariffs, and that Amazon was skipping refund requests to "curry favor" with Trump.

Brian Olsavsky, Amazon's finance chief, said on the company's earnings call that Amazon is "participating in the tariff refund process" and received approximately $600 million in Q2. He called the amount "limited" for two reasons.

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First, Amazon had stocked up and positioned inventory in expectation of the tariffs. Second, Amazon is not listed as the official importer for most of the goods sold in its store.

That distinction matters because independent sellers represent over 60% of the goods sold on Amazon's marketplace.

Olsavsky said some of Amazon's refunds will be returned to shoppers. "We've identified a limited set of circumstances where we can trace that we've passed specific import charges onto customers, and when we receive those refunds, we will proactively contact affected customers and automatically issue refunds to them," he said.

"Otherwise, like other large retailers, we'll utilize refunds to continue to invest in low prices for customers," Olsavsky said.

Political Backdrop

The White House was unhappy with Amazon in April 2025 after reports said the retailer intended to show tariff-related costs next to certain products on its website. NBC News reported that Bezos, Amazon's founder and executive chairman, received a direct call from Trump complaining about the plan.

Trump also told CNBC in April he would "remember" businesses that did not request refunds; the question was whether Amazon and other firms were avoiding refund applications to avoid angering him.

The rest, Amazon said, will be used to continue investing in low prices.

Why This Matters

The tariff dispute grew out of Trump's use of a 1977 law that gives presidents broad emergency powers over international commerce. The Supreme Court ruled that the tariffs went beyond what that statute allowed, opening the door for companies that paid the duties to seek repayment. Amazon's decision to participate had been closely watched because of the political pressure surrounding refund requests, and because of the large volume of goods sold on its marketplace by third-party sellers. The company's approach means refunds will reach consumers in a narrow set of cases, while the rest of the $600 million will be used in Amazon's pricing and operations.

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