Rivian Seeks Full Refund of Trump Tariffs in US Government Lawsuit

The Supreme Court struck down the Liberation Day tariffs. Refund checks, however, didn’t follow. Rivian is now suing to make sure its money actually comes back — and the outcome could matter for every importer still holding receipts.

The $121 Billion Bottleneck

A Supreme Court ruling killed the IEEPA tariffs, but importers still have to fight for every dollar owed.

The tariffs Rivian paid were imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act — a legal authority the Supreme Court ultimately invalidated. Here’s the catch: that ruling didn’t trigger automatic repayment. Importers have to take separate legal action to recover what they’re owed.

So Rivian filed suit in the U.S. Court of International Trade against the federal government, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott. The complaint asks the court to declare the tariffs “contrary to law” and order a full refund with interest and court fees.

CBP told TechCrunch it has accepted over $121 billion in potential and certified refunds for processing. The Cato Institute reported only $71 billion had been paid out. That’s a $50 billion gap — the bureaucratic equivalent of a Venmo request sitting on “pending” indefinitely.CFO Claire McDonough estimated Rivian’s refund in the “tens of millions of dollars,” though she acknowledged timing, mechanism, and amount remain uncertain, according to Bloomberg Tax. Uncertainty, for a company burning cash toward profitability, is a liability worth litigating away.

Rivian sued the U.S. government, CBP, and CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott in the Court of International Trade

The complaint seeks tariffs declared “contrary to law,” plus a refund with interest and court fees

CFO McDonough estimated the refund in the “tens of millions” — timing unconfirmed

CBP accepted $121 billion in potential refunds; only $71 billion paid out so far

Rivian joins a broader wave of tariff-refund lawsuits across industries

Why Tens of Millions Matters Wh…