Amazon Receives $600 Million Tariff Refund, Will Return Portion to Consumers

U.S. e-commerce giant Amazon (Amazon)(AMZN-US) announced it has received approximately $600 million in tariff refunds and stated it will return part of this amount to consumers. This comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that multiple tariffs imposed by the Trump administration under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977 were unlawful, marking the first time Amazon has publicly revealed the refund amount and its subsequent handling.

Amazon Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky said during the second-quarter earnings call that the company participated in the government’s tariff refund program and received about $600 million in refunds during the second quarter. He noted that Amazon has identified certain transactions traceable to consumer-paid import costs, and going forward, upon receiving related refunds, the company will proactively contact affected customers and automatically issue refunds.

Olsavsky added that if refunds cannot be directly traced to specific transactions, Amazon will follow the approach of other major retailers by using the refunded funds for continued investment in its low-price strategy, thereby reducing shopping costs for consumers.

In February this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that several tariffs imposed by the Trump administration under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act lacked legal legitimacy, requiring the government to refund tariffs previously paid by affected businesses.

Major corporations including Apple (Apple)(AAPL-US), Walmart (Walmart)(WMT-US), Costco Wholesale (Costco Wholesale)(COST-US), Home Depot (Home Depot)(HD-US), and General Motors (General Motors)(GM-US) have previously indicated they would apply for tariff refunds.

Apple also stated in its same-day earnings report that its third-quarter earnings per share (EPS) increased by 11 cents due to tariff refunds, equivalent to about a 5% boost in EPS, indicating that these refunds are already making a tangible contribution to corporate profits.

Amazon had not previously disclosed whether it filed for a refund. In May this year, a consumer class-action lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Seattle, U.S., with plaintiffs arguing that product prices increased due to tariffs and that consumers should share in the refund benefits if companies receive them. The lawsuit accused Amazon of delaying its refund application to 'ingratiate itself' with the Trump administration.

In fact, Amazon and the White House had previously clashed over tariff policy. In April 2025, media outlets reported that Amazon planned to display the increased costs from Trump-era tariffs on certain product pages, prompting dissatisfaction from the White House. According to NBC News, Trump reportedly personally called Amazon founder and Chairman Jeff Bezos to express opposition.

Olsavsky also explained that Amazon’s refund amount is relatively limited because the company had procured and pre-deployed large inventories before the tariffs officially took effect, reducing the number of goods subsequently impacted by tariffs. Additionally, most products sold on Amazon’s platform are not imported under Amazon’s name as the importer of record, meaning the company cannot file for refunds on all items.

Currently, over 60% of products sold on Amazon Marketplace are offered by third-party sellers. Many overseas importers, having raised prices due to higher tariff costs, have begun applying for tariff refunds from the government. As the refund process continues, the market will watch whether other major retailers follow Amazon’s lead in returning part of the refunds to consumers or use price reductions and promotions to benefit the market.