L’Oréal Files Lawsuit Seeking Refund of Trump-Era Tariffs

THE WHAT? L’Oréal has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade seeking refunds for tariffs paid under former President Donald Trump’s emergency trade measures, following a Supreme Court ruling that found the duties unlawful.

THE DETAILS The case was filed by L’Oréal Travel Retail Americas, the division responsible for selling beauty products in duty-free and travel retail channels. The filing comes days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 6–3 decision that Trump overstepped his authority by using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs on imported goods.

In its complaint, L’Oréal stated it served as the importer of record on goods subject to the IEEPA tariffs but did not disclose the amount it is seeking to recover. The lawsuit names U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), its commissioner Rodney Scott and the United States of America as defendants. The broader refund process, potentially covering up to US$175 billion in tariff collections, is still to be determined by lower courts and could take months or years to resolve.

THE WHY? The legal action aims to recoup tariff payments deemed unlawfully collected after the Supreme Court invalidated the legal basis for the trade measures, as companies seek to recover potentially significant sums.

Source: Reuters