US firms dash to recover tariffs paid on Chinese imports as refund system launches

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Companies scramble on Monday to recover illegally collected tariffs from US government as thousands rush to file claims

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Khushboo Razdanin WashingtonPublished: 6:11am, 21 Apr 2026Updated: 9:24am, 21 Apr 2026For Tim Avanzato and the team at Lanca Sales, Monday marked the start of a high-stakes digital scramble to recover tariffs paid after US President Donald Trump imposed steep duties on almost all imports, including from China, last year.

While the New Jersey-based company that imports and exports food packaging has become accustomed to operating under tariffs and adjusting its business around them, Avanzato, who handles global trade and logistics at the firm, said the refund process has introduced a fresh layer of confusion and administrative burden.

“We were just starting to get used to them, you know what I mean, like, we changed our pricing,” he said, while appreciating the US government’s rolling out of a “common sense procedure” for refunds quickly.Advertisement

Avanzato noted that the tariffs were “a shock to the system for everybody”.

“And then they take them away. That adds a whole other set of headaches, because how are we getting the money back? How do you do this?”

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Canada, Brazil hardest hit as Trump unleashes new global tariff blitz

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Lanca Sales is now among the first wave of companies navigating the new refund system. It is working through a customs broker to handle the refunds for a small fee.

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