Tariff Refund Opportunities

April 2026 | 2 min read

Tariff Refund Opportunities: What Wineries Should Do Now

Written by Jeanette Tan | Photo by Shutterstock

Following the Supreme Court ruling last February, importers who paid the now-invalid tariffs began submitting refund claims. This created an opportunity for many businesses—but also some confusion. The key point to understand is that only the companies that directly paid the tariffs to U.S. Customs may file refund claims.

For many small wineries, that means the refund process starts with your vendors, not with you.

If your company purchased imported glass, corks, capsules, or barrels during the tariff period, you may be able to recover some of those added costs—but it will likely require effort, patience, and follow-up.

Why a Refund Is Not Automatic

Even if tariffs were charged on products you purchased, receiving money back is not guaranteed and will not happen quickly.

Whether your business ultimately receives a refund will depend on two main factors:

1. Whether your vendor paid the tariff directly

Some vendors were the importer of record and paid tariffs themselves. In that case, they may be eligible to submit refund claims.

Other vendors purchased from another supplier who paid the tariffs. In that case, your vendor may also be waiting to recover funds before they can consider reimbursing customers.

2. Whether the tariff was charged separately

If the tariff appeared as a separate line item on invoices—such as “Tariff Surcharge,” “Import Duty,” or similar wording—you have a stronger basis for requesting reimbursement.

If the tariff cost was simply blended into a higher selling price, recovering those dollars becomes more difficult because the vendor may argue it was part of general pricing rather than a direct pass-through charge.

Why Good Recordkeeping Matters

When tariffs were charged separately, those transactions are much easier to identify and document.

You should gather:

• Invoice or bill numbers

• Dates of purchase

• Dollar amounts charged

• Product descriptions

• The exact wording used to describe the tariff charge

That last point is especially important. The language used may signal whether the vendor treated it as a temporary surcharge or simply part of the product price.

What to Send Your Vendors

I recommend contacting each vendor with a clear, professional request such as:

We purchased goods from you during the period when the now-invalid tariffs were in effect. Please let us know whether you were the importer of record, whether you intend to seek refunds, and whether any refunded tariff amounts will be passed through as credits or pricing adjustments to customers.

Include the relevant invoices and charges in your message.

Important Dates to Know

The invalid tariffs began in February 2025 and were ruled unlawful on February 20, 2026.

A replacement tariff took effect February 24, 2026 and is currently scheduled to run through July 24, 2026, unless Congress repeals or replaces it.

Final Thoughts

Downstream vendors are generally not legally required to refund tariff costs to customers. That means this process may involve follow-up conversations, negotiation, and persistence.

Still, if you paid significant tariff-related surcharges, the potential recovery could be worth the effort. Sometimes the companies that ask first—and ask clearly—are the ones that get results.