Why Choose Callender Bowlin As a Tariff Lawyer?

You can trust the tariff litigation team at Callender Bowlin to apply the specialized expertise necessary to help your business recover financial losses resulting from unlawful tariffs enacted between February 2025 and February 2026.

Ready to Get Help? Click to call.

Smokehouse Creek Wildfire Attorneys

Important Dates Regarding Tariffs and What Happened

  • February 2025 – President Trump reportedly used a statutory provision under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to invoke “emergency” tariffs on many foreign countries 
  • February 20, 2026 – The Supreme Court invalidated those tariffs and ruled them unlawful in Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump
  • March 2026 – The CIT (Court of International Trade) established a process for companies to obtain refunds, with interest

Are all tariffs removed now?

No, tariffs have not been completely eliminated or abolished. Lawful and permissible tariffs remain in place. However, a ruling by the Supreme Court struck down the broad tariff framework introduced by the sitting U.S. president in early 2025. This includes measures such as the “Fentanyl Tariffs” targeting Canada, Mexico, and China, as well as the “Liberation Day” reciprocal tariffs that applied to imports from most other nations worldwide. The amount of tariffs collected under this now-invalid regime is said to be upwards of $166 billion with others citing the value as high as $175 billion in total.

Common questions around the tariffs that were invalidated by the Supreme Court of the United States:

  • How do I recover the monetary value of tariffs that have already been paid?
  • With no fully outlined refund system, how do I start the process to reclaim my funds?
  • What considerations should I make before suing the federal government?
  • Do I pursue reclamation through litigation in the CIT, the CBP (Customs and Border Protection) administrative process, or should I be filing claims in both arenas?

Requirements to Qualify for Compensation from Illegal Tariffs

  1. Your business must be registered in the U.S. as a Corporation, LLC, Partnership, Sole Proprietor, etc.
  2. Your company must have been the Importer of Record and you must have paid IEEPA tariffs directly to the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the time of importation.
  3. The tariffs in question must have been paid between February 2025, and February 24, 2026, under IEEPA executive orders only (not exclusively §232 steel/aluminum).
  4. You must have documented the IEEPA duties paid with:
    1. Customs Entry Records,
    2. Import Broker Statements,
    3. CBP Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Records,
    4. And, the total IEEPA tariff amount paid must be $50,000 or more.

More Tariff Information

Allegedly, the imposition of these tariffs required Congressional authority, and it was not received. Due to this, the action may be categorized as unconstitutional. An estimated 300,000 businesses were impacted by the now unlawful tariffs. 

As legal challenges are expected to increase, businesses that shifted tariff costs onto customers—whether transparently disclosed or not—should begin preparing for possible lawsuits without delay. Indeed, proposed consumer class actions have already been filed across the country. Plaintiffs are seeking to recover money paid for tariff-related price increases, regardless of whether those charges were clearly identified, on purchases made while the tariffs were in effect.

Since the ruling, at least seven cases have been brought in federal courts in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, South Carolina, and Tennessee. These suits assert claims such as unjust enrichment, breach of quasi-contract, consumer fraud, and deceptive business practices. The plaintiffs are pursuing compensation that may include damages, restitution, interest, and attorneys’ fees.

To support their allegations, the filings rely on a range of evidence, including explicitly labeled tariff surcharges, statements companies made in court proceedings (such as those related to tariff refunds), communications with investors, press releases, website disclosures, and data tracking pricing trends.

Possible business categories impacted by tariffs now labeled as unlawful:

  • Furniture importers and companies
  • Medical device companies
  • Oil importers
  • Shipping-related businesses

If your business is one of the thousands potentially impacted by this ruling, and you have $50,000 or more in tariff-related impact, reach out to Callender Bowlin to discuss your rights and how to move forward.

Callender Bowlin LLP
4299 San Felipe St # 300
Houston, TX 77027
(713) 955-9719

Contact CB Trial

Practice Group