The tariff ruling is in. The Supreme Court released its decision this morning, confirming what prediction markets had long anticipated. In a 6-3 ruling, the court has officially struck down the broad global tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Full stop.

However, following the ruling, President Donald Trump stated effective immediately he is implementing a 10% global tariff under Section 122. The President is authorized to impose up to a 15% tariff, quantitative import restrictions, or both, for a period of 150 days on countries with which the United States has a balance‑of‑payments trade deficit. This authority may be extended only with congressional approval.

What Happened?
Before we go over next steps, let’s take a bird’s eye view of what transpired.

Key Legal Outcome
* Holding: The court determined that IEEPA does not grant the president authority to impose sweeping, across-the-board tariffs.
* Vote: 6-3, with Justices Thomas, Alito, and Kavanaugh dissenting.
* Impact: All IEEPA-based duties — including the universal “reciprocal” tariffs and the fentanyl-related tariffs aimed at Canada, Mexico, and China — are now invalidated.

Operational & Refund Implications
An estimated $175 billion in collected tariffs are flagged as potentially refund-eligible. That’s not a typo.

What’s more, although the tariffs have been deemed unconstitutional, recovering the duties already collected will be a significant administrative effort. The Court of International Trade (CIT) is expected to lift its stay and provide Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with formal instructions for how reliquidation and refunds will proceed.

* CBP Guidance Expected Within 10 Days: CBP is anticipated to issue its initial guidance within 10 days of the Supreme Court’s order, detailing the administrative refund process and the steps required to unwind the provisional IEEPA duties. As part of this, CBP will also need to revise its internal programming to allow entries to be submitted without the IEEPA provisional tariffs.
* Importer Rights Maintained: The CIT previously affirmed that importers were not required to file individual protests or lawsuits to preserve eligibility for refunds. However, trade and legal teams should begin preparing complete documentation—classifications, country-of-origin data, and all applicable entry records dating back to early 2025—in anticipation of an accelerated or specialized refund program.
* Other Tariff Programs Remain Unchanged: This ruling is limited to IEEPA actions. Tariffs imposed under Section 301 (unfair trade practices) and Section 232 (national-security measures such as steel and aluminum) remain fully in effect. The Administration may also consider re-imposing certain duties under alternate statutory authorities such as Section 122.

Reassuring Next Steps
Even though the prediction markets long foresaw this outcome, it’s still a shock to the system. But you have no need to panic. In fact, if you play this the right way, you could find it quite reassuring actually.

A Real Refund Roadmap Exists (and You Can Protect Your Rights)
Treasury leadership has publicly confirmed the capacity to pay refunds at scale. You’re not shouting into a void, and there’s a tried and true process.

That said, refunds won’t fall from the sky. Everything depends on how your entries were filed and whether they’ve “liquidated,” which is just CBP’s way of saying the duty amount on an entry is final. And effective February 6, 2026, CBP issues refunds electronically, so the system is getting faster right when you need it.

So here’s your first move. Make sure your Importer of Record data and documentation are clean and easy to access.

Then, pull the last 12 to 18 months of entries and sort them into three buckets:

1. Not yet liquidated (you have room to maneuver).
2. Recently liquidated (move quickly)
3. Older liquidated entries (options may be limited depending on timing).

Your Freight Doesn’t Stop While the Policy Catches Up
Now that you know refunds have a real process behind them, let’s talk about what happens on the ground.

Your trucks and containers keep moving. Court rulings change the rules, not your ability to ship. Hold off on repricing SKUs until you get confirmed guidance. Update your landed-cost models with two scenarios: refunds realized and refunds delayed. Build a quick internal FAQ so Sales and Finance speak with one voice.

Use the Reset to Tighten Your Trade Discipline
Relief feels good, and you’ve earned a moment to breathe. But coming out ahead doesn’t mean collecting refunds and moving on. It means using the opening to build a playbook that holds up the next time trade policy takes a hard turn, because if the last few years taught us anything, it’s that there will be a next time.

Start with your classifications. Confirm HTS codes, product descriptions, and country-of-origin logic across your top SKUs. Then rebuild your landed-cost models with updated duty assumptions and realistic refund timelines. Where it applies, explore Foreign-Trade Zones for duty deferral or duty drawback programs tied to exports and re-exports.

The goal isn’t to chase every dollar in week one. The goal is to avoid surprises in week four.

How Mallory Alexander Can Help You Move Forward
Three reasons down, and hopefully that knot in your stomach has loosened a bit. But knowing what to do and having the bandwidth to do it are two very different things, especially when you’re running a business and fielding calls from every direction.

That’s where we come in at Mallory Alexander.

Our team is already deep in the details of this tariff ruling, reviewing refund eligibility, classification adjustments, and cost modeling across our client base. And because we connect customs brokerage, compliance, forwarding, warehousing, and domestic transportation under one roof, you get one partner instead of five when the stakes are highest.

Here’s how we can help:

* Tariff Impact Triage (Fast): We can map your SKUs and recent entries against the overturned tariff structure, estimate your exposure, and prioritize the highest-dollar lanes first. You get clarity on where the real money is before you spend energy on the rest.
* Refund Readiness and Documentation Alignment: Clean entry data, organized invoices, and solid audit trails are the backbone of every successful refund claim. We can coordinate across your teams so nothing gets buried in someone’s inbox or lost between departments.
* Classification and Filing Optimization: HTS codes and product classifications need to reflect the new reality. We can run targeted reviews and correction strategies so your future entries are accurate and your downstream risk drops.
* Duty Minimization Strategy (Where It Makes Sense): Foreign Trade Zones, drawback programs, and free trade agreement angles can all improve your cash flow and reduce landed cost. We can evaluate what fits your operation without opening up compliance gaps.
* Freight Keeps Moving While Finance Recalculates: Ocean, air, warehousing, and domestic transportation don’t pause for policy changes. We can maintain continuity across your supply chain so your service levels hold steady while the back office catches up.

What Comes Next Is More Reassuring Than You Realize
A tariff ruling of this magnitude raises real questions. But you’ve seen the answers start to take shape: a clear refund roadmap exists, your freight can keep moving, and tighter trade discipline can turn relief into a genuine cost advantage. The best next step is simple. Work through it entry by entry, SKU by SKU.

Mallory Alexander’s trade compliance team, paired with our integrated forwarding, warehousing, and domestic transportation network, can help you absorb a moment like this without missing a beat. We have the footprint, the compliance muscle, and the operational depth to keep everything connected while the policy picture settles.

If you want help assessing refund eligibility, tightening classification, or rebuilding landed cost models, contact us today. We’ll walk through your exposure and next steps together.