The United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated on Friday (March 13) that the “most important and wise course of action for companies filing lawsuits to reclaim tariffs is to distribute this money as bonuses to employees.”
Greer expressed his views on the tariff cases during a media interview on March 13. President Trump’s tariffs were ruled illegal by the Supreme Court on February 20 with a 6-3 vote – the Court determined that the President did not have the authority to invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs on imported goods from most countries around the world.
Several US import and export companies, including Costco and FedEx, have filed lawsuits seeking refunds of the tariffs they have paid.
“If I were these companies and they unexpectedly came into this windfall, then the most important and wise course of action is to distribute this money as bonuses to employees,” Greer told CNBC on Friday.
Greer first pointed out: Remember, it is the Democratic Attorney General who is arguing this issue, requesting that the money be returned to importers. Originally, this money could have been used to pay off the high debts of the US government; yet the Democratic Attorney General insists on taking the money from the Treasury.
He stated that after the complaining companies demanding refunds of tariffs receive the money, the best course of action is to distribute it to employees. Greer explained, “The fundamental reason the President imposed these tariffs is to try to bring manufacturing back to the country to address the significant trade imbalances caused by China, Vietnam, the EU, and other countries over the years.”
“If these companies indeed receive this unexpected windfall, they should distribute it to employees as bonuses or pay raises, because that was the original intent of the plan. This has always been the essence of the plan. The American people should benefit from it, and companies should also distribute this money to their employees,” Greer said.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that he expects tariffs to return to the levels before the Supreme Court ruling by August, as the Trump administration is using a series of other powers to impose tariffs on imported goods.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has initiated trade investigations on nearly 80 countries and economic entities under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The countries under investigation include China, Japan, India, Mexico, and the EU. Section 301 allows the US to impose tariffs on imported goods from countries identified as engaging in unfair trade practices.
Trump has invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act to impose a 10% tariff on global imported goods. Unless extended by Congress, these tariffs will only last for 150 days.