Amazon Received $600 Million in Tariff Refunds, Will Return Some to Consumers but Scope Limited

Amazon disclosed it has received $600 million in tariff refunds and plans to return a portion of the funds to consumers. Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky said on an earnings call that the company received approximately $600 million in refunds in the second quarter. In February 2026, the US Supreme Court ruled that tariffs imposed by Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 were invalid, forcing the US government to refund tariffs to companies that imported related goods. Major companies including Apple, Walmart, Costco, Home Depot, and General Motors have all said they would apply for refunds. In April 2026, Trump said in an interview that he would "remember" companies that did not apply for refunds.

Apple said on Thursday that the tariff refund boosted its third-quarter earnings per share by 5%, or 11 cents. Amazon had not previously stated whether it would apply for a refund. In May 2026, a group of consumers filed a class-action lawsuit in Seattle federal court, arguing that because the price of goods included tariff costs, they were entitled to corresponding refunds, and accusing Amazon of not applying for refunds to curry favor with Trump. Olsavsky explained on Thursday that Amazon received only a limited refund because the company had anticipated the tariff policy and stocked up in advance. In addition, Amazon is not the legal importer for the vast majority of products on its platform.

Many third-party sellers on Amazon that import goods from overseas were forced to raise prices due to tariffs and have now applied for tariff refunds. Third-party seller products account for more than 60% of Amazon's total sales. Olsavsky revealed that a portion of the tariff refund Amazon received will be returned to consumers. He said the company has identified a small number of cases where it can trace that specific import fees were passed on to customers, and upon receiving the refund, it will proactively contact affected customers and automatically issue refunds. Otherwise, like other large retailers, Amazon will continue to use refunds to offer low prices to customers.