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Rivian sues for refund
Rivian Automotive sued the U.S. government for a full refund of tariffs it paid under President Trump’s “Liberation Day” taxes, which the Supreme Court later ruled unconstitutional in February 2026.
“Rivian Automotive (RIVN) filed a lawsuit on Thursday in the U”
The lawsuit, filed on Thursday in the U.S. Court of International Trade, names the U.S. government, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott as defendants.
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TechCrunch reported that Rivian’s complaint seeks a court declaration that the tariffs are “contrary to law” and asks for a refund with interest and court fees.
Rivian said it wants the court to declare the duties illegal and order repayment with interest, and its filing argued that the Supreme Court ruling alone does not guarantee repayment.
CBP refund bottleneck
CBP told TechCrunch that over $121 billion in both “potential and certified refunds have been accepted for processing,” while the Cato Institute wrote that $71 billion had been paid out.
Rivian’s lawyers argued in the complaint that “importers that have paid IEEPA tariffs, including Plaintiffs, are not guaranteed a refund of amounts previously paid based on the Supreme Court’s decision,” even after the tariffs were invalidated.
Barchart said the Supreme Court’s ruling did not trigger automatic refunds to importers, and it described a $50 billion gap between accepted refunds and paid-out amounts.
Rivian’s CFO Claire McDonough told TechCrunch in April that she expected the company stood to reap a refund in the “tens of millions of dollars,” while Barchart said timing and amount remain uncertain.
Cash stakes for R2
Rivian’s tariff refund fight is unfolding as the company rolls out its first mass-market SUV, the R2, and expects to ship around 20,000 to 25,000 vehicles by the end of this year.
TechCrunch said Rivian expects the move to help the company finally reach profitability, but it also reported that reaching that goal may not happen until 2028.
Barchart said Rivian recently raised about $1.3 billion through a share sale and noted that profitability may not arrive until 2028 while the company invests in autonomous vehicle technology.
In its regulatory filing, Rivian wrote that the “resulting environment of retaliatory trade or other practices or additional trade restrictions or barriers has harmed, and could continue to harm,” its ability to obtain raw materials, components and equipment and to sell products at prices customers are willing to pay.
