In a stunning twist that nobody could have predicted, Donald Trump's administration has paid back a whopping $100bn (£78bn) in 'Liberation Day' tariff refunds to businesses through US customs officials. Yes, you read that right - the government is literally handing back the money it collected under a policy that was supposed to make America great, but instead just made importers weep into their ledgers.

According to a recent court filing from US Customs and Border Protection, this refund represents roughly 60% of all tariff revenue collected under the policy. Because apparently, when the Supreme Court says 'your tariffs are illegal,' you don't just shrug and move on - you open the vault and start writing checks.

But wait, there's more! Nearly $29bn in potential refunds is still undergoing review by trade authorities, and another $1.6bn is stuck in limbo because importers haven't supplied their banking details. That's right, folks - somewhere out there, a business is sitting on a pile of cash it could claim, but it's too busy trying to remember its routing number.

The repayments follow a major Supreme Court decision in February, where judges ruled that the broad import tariffs introduced under economic powers were unlawful. The White House had cited a 1977 law, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which gives the president power to 'regulate' trade in response to an emergency. Apparently, 'emergency' is a flexible term that can mean 'we want to impose tariffs and see what happens.'

The measures sparked outcry at home and abroad from firms facing an abrupt rise in taxes on shipments entering the US, and worries that the levies would lead to higher prices. And surprise, surprise - tariffs are taxes on foreign goods entering a country, paid by domestic businesses and importers when goods arrive at customs. Not by foreign governments or overseas exporters, as some might have you believe. Higher tariffs raise upfront business expenses, and companies usually pass these extra costs to shoppers through higher retail prices. So, in a shocking turn of events, the consumer ends up footing the bill.

Since the Supreme Court decision, several major American corporations have already claimed large sums back. Amazon received approximately $600m in refunds during the second quarter, according to finance chief Brian Olsavsky. Olsavsky said on the company's second quarter earnings call that Amazon would pass some money back to customers where specific charges were applied, and the remaining funds would be used to support lower store prices. Because nothing says 'customer-centric' like returning money that was illegally taken from you in the first place.

Under US customs law, only importers who directly paid tariffs can claim refunds, leaving any consumer relief entirely up to individual businesses. So if you were hoping for a refund check in the mail, you're out of luck - unless you happen to be a multinational corporation with a good legal team.

The overall tariffs payout is expected to rise further as US Customs continue to review pending claims and importers update their banking details. After the February court ruling, Trump introduced a 10% universal tariff as a temporary solution. These expired late last month, and were replaced by new tariffs on 60 trading partners based on claims key economic partners have failed to properly tackle forced labour. That move came a few days after Trump slapped a 50% tariff on Canada. Because nothing says 'diplomacy' like taxing your closest ally into the ground.

So there you have it - the 'Liberation Day' tariffs have come full circle, from imposing taxes to refunding them. It's almost like the whole thing was a massive waste of time, money, and legal fees. But hey, at least Amazon got a nice little windfall out of it.