Philippines exporters urged to work with US partners

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April 28, 2026 | 12:00am

Tariff refund starts

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine exporters are urged to work with their partners in the United States to recover duties illegally collected on exports following the activation of a tariff refund system.

In an advisory, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) urged Philippine exporters to coordinate closely with their US importers to confirm whether duties imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) were paid.

It also advised Philippine exporters to set clear arrangements with their US partners on how to handle the recovered amount if they shared the cost of the tariff previously imposed on exports to the American market.

“Only the US importer of record or authorized customs broker who filed the entry may submit refund claims,” the DTI EMB said.

Exporters may support their US partners by providing the required documents for processing of refunds.

The DTI EMB issued the advisory after the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) rolled out the tariff refund system last week.

A tariff refund system was put in place after the US Supreme Court ruled in February this year that the sweeping tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on trade partners under the IEEPA last year were unconstitutional.

The US Supreme Court said that Trump needed congressional approval to impose those tariffs.

The US started imposing a 19 percent tariff on Philippine exports, excluding key agricultural products and semiconductors last year following negotiations between the two countries.

After the US Supreme Court struck down the tariffs under the IEEPA, Trump announced the imposition of a 10 percent levy on US imports.

For further guidance on the tariff refunds, exporters can check the CBP’s IEEPA Duty Refunds page.

Exporters are also advised to contact the CBP for their concerns.