Trump Singles Out Apple, Amazon: "I Will Remember Companies That Do Not Request Tariff Refunds"

Tariff Refund System Launched a Day Earlier
Trump Speaks in CNBC Interview
UPS, FedEx Begin Filing for Refunds

U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a warning on April 20 (local time) regarding the recently implemented tariff refund measures, stating, "I will remember the companies that do not request refunds."

U.S. President Donald Trump is giving a speech at an NCAA-related event held at the White House on the 21st (local time). Photo by AFP Yonhap News

In an interview with CNBC on April 21, President Trump referred to certain large corporations, such as Apple and Amazon, that have not applied for refunds, saying, "If they choose not to do so, I will remember them." He further commented on the tariff policy, saying, "We are imposing them in a different way, but the end result will be the same. The final amount will be larger, but the process has simply become a bit more cumbersome."

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) launched an online refund system the previous day to return tariffs amounting to approximately $166 billion (about KRW 244 trillion). Importers and customs brokers are able to apply for refunds through a dedicated portal. The program covers about 330,000 importers and totals around 53 million cases.

In February, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Trump Administration's imposition of reciprocal tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) was an unlawful infringement on congressional authority. Immediately after the Supreme Court's decision, President Trump announced that he would impose tariffs under Sections 122 and 301 of the Trade Act. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said on April 14 that it would be possible to restore tariffs at a similar level by early July.

Against this backdrop, global logistics companies UPS and FedEx began the refund application process on the same day, according to CNBC. UPS is applying for refunds from the CBP on behalf of its customers for import-declared shipments within the United States. The refund process is expected to take up to three months. FedEx has also started claiming refunds and stated that it will return the refunded amounts to shippers and consumers.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.