Businesses are vying for a refund, with nearly $175bn on the line, but customers are unlikely to benefit from reversal
At 8am, two hours before the US supreme court officially slapped down Donald Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs on 20 February, Joseph Spraragen’s phone was already ringing off the hook.
The seasoned New York-based attorney and his 40-strong specialised trade team at Grunfeld, Desiderio, Lebowitz, Silverman & Klestadt (GDLSK) had spent months filing hundreds of lawsuits for heavy-hitter clients, including luxury brands Prada and Dolce & Gabbana, in protest of the US president’s decision to impose sweeping import taxes last April.
But that Friday’s ruling – deeming Trump’s tariffs illegal – opened the floodgates, sending hundreds of thousands of businesses across the US scrambling for advice on how to secure their share of an estimated $175bn (£129bn) tariff refund pot.
Already, FedEx, L’Oreal, Dyson and others have sued for refunds. Now clients are looking for trade lawyers at a rate unseen throughout Spraragen’s 30-year career. “It’s unprecedented,” he said.
