New Delhi: Apex exporters’ body FIEO Wednesday said it has asked its members to engage with US buyers to seek a share of the refunded tariffs, with the United States initiating the process of refunding reciprocal tariffs from April 20.
FIEO President S C Ralhan said that there is no legal right of Indian exporters on those refunds, as only the US businesses are getting the refunds.
“But if an Indian exporter has a good relationship with his or her US buyer, she may get some share,” he said.
In its report, think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said that the engagement with the US buyers will be important as the refunded payments go only to US importers, and exporters have no legal right to claim them.
Indian exporters have no direct legal route to claim refunds.
Another industry official from the leather sector said that the businesses will discuss the matter with the US importers.
“We are talking to our buyers on this,” a leather sector exporter said.
The US tariffs, imposed from April 2, 2025, affected exports of many Indian products.
According to the GTRI, the total refund is about USD 166 billion, with roughly USD 12 billion linked to goods from India.
To get refunds, US importers have to file detailed claims online with shipment data, tariff lines and proof of payment.
The reciprocal tariff regime began with 10 per cent levied on April 2, 2025 and was rapidly escalated. Rates for India rose to 25 per cent by August 7, 2025 and to 50 per cent by August 28, remaining at that level until early February 2026.
On February 20, the US Supreme Court ruling invalidated the entire framework of Trump tariffs, making the tariffs legally void and triggering refunds, it said.
About 53 per cent of India’s exports to the US, mainly textiles and apparel, faced these high tariffs, making them the biggest contributors to refunds.
“Of the estimated USD 12 billion linked to India, textiles and apparel may account for about USD 4 billion, engineering goods another USD 4 billion, and chemicals about USD 2 billion, with smaller shares from other sectors,” GTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava has said.
He said that Indian exporters will not get refunds automatically, and payments go only to US importers, and exporters have no legal right to claim them.
He suggested that exporters reopen contracts and, using invoices and tariff data, they should show how costs were absorbed.
PTI
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