Corporate America got billions of dollars in tariff refunds. Where’s your cut?

By Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN(CNN) — Apple got an estimated $2.2 billion tariff refund last quarter. You aren’t owed a tariff refundThe tariff refund system is structured so that only the parties who directly paid the tariffs — or the customs brokers acting on their behalf — can file for a refund. In many cases, it’s nearly impossible to figure out how much of a company’s tariff refund came out of consumers’ pockets. However, higher energy and freight costs tied to the war with Iran are making it even less likely that tariff refunds will flow directly to consumers. “The tariff refund comes [in], obviously, very handy” for that, said PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta in an earnings call last month.