Major US trade groups are pressing the Trump administration to distribute tariff refunds 'en masse'

• Major trade groups in the US are trying to hasten tariff refunds to small businesses.
• They argue that the refunds are "existential" for small businesses and startups.
• The Supreme Court ruled in March that Trump's tariffs were illegally imposed.

US trade groups are pressing President Donald Trump and his administration to quickly pay tariff refunds to small businesses.

In a joint press release, the Consumer Technology Association and the US Chamber of Commerce said they had filed a brief on Wednesday in V.O.S. Selections, Inc. v. Trump, a lawsuit by small businesses seeking refunds from Trump's sweeping tariffs.

"The brief argues that an efficient, orderly process to deliver refunds is in the best interest of all parties — the Administration, the courts, and American businesses," the press release wrote.

"On behalf of the hundreds of thousands of businesses, especially small businesses, that are now owed refunds, the Chamber and CTA are asking the court to establish an efficient, orderly process to deliver refunds en masse," Neil Bradley, the Chamber's executive vice president,  said in the release.

He added that the trade organizations were concerned that other parties might try to benefit from the refund process, and "the last thing our system needs is for the trial bar to be profiting off refunds owed to small businesses."

"While this matters for every American company, refunds are existential for the many smaller businesses and startups who shouldered the tariff burden," Ed Brzytwa, CTA's vice president of international affairs, said in the release.

The trade groups' filing comes after the Supreme Court ruled, in a 6-3 decision in February, that Trump's tariffs were illegal and that his justification for invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act was invalid.

And on Wednesday, Judge Richard K. Eaton of the US Court of International Trade ruled that US businesses that were subjected to tariffs are "entitled to the benefit" of the Supreme Court ruling.

Even before Eaton's ruling, companies had started demanding refunds. Major companies like Costco, Toyota, BYD, and FedEx filed lawsuits against the administration, seeking billions of dollars in tariff duties since they were imposed last April.

Representatives for the Trump administration did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.