President Trump suggested using surplus tariff income to send rebate checks to Americans

On Friday, President Donald Trump suggested he could allocate the extra revenue generated by increased tariffs toward issuing rebate payments to certain American households.

Trump told reporters at the White House, shortly before embarking on his trip to Scotland, that “we have so much money coming in, we’re thinking about a little rebate.” He added, “A little rebate for people of a certain income level might be very nice.”

As per Bloomberg, he also mentioned that the tariff revenue could help reduce the national debt. “The big thing we want to do is pay down debt,” Trump said. “But we’re thinking about a rebate.”

This fiscal year, U.S. customs duties have exceeded the $100 billion mark for the first time, an unprecedented level resulting from the administration’s higher levies intended to shift global supply chains and spur more domestic manufacturing.

Treasury data indicates that in June alone, customs‐duty collections hit $27 billion, bringing the year‐to‐date tariff haul to $113 billion.

Despite the jump in income from these duties and the president’s frequent assertion that foreign partners absorb the cost, analysis shows that American companies and shoppers are bearing most of the burden.

While rates vary by country of origin, those charges ultimately fall on U.S. importers, whether major retailers or manufacturers bringing in parts and raw materials. Until now, many firms have chosen to swallow the extra expense rather than pass it on, but recent inflation data suggest those added costs are beginning to show up in higher retail prices.

Trump’s DOGE rebate idea never move forward

Earlier in the year, he proposed allocating a fifth of the savings generated by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative toward taxpayer disbursements, yet he never introduced or secured any legislation to make those payments happen. On the other hand, during the COVID‑19 pandemic, three rounds of stimulus checks, two in his first term and a third under President Biden, were dispatched to help families cope with the downturn.

Since rebates are ordinarily provided by amending the tax code, Congress would need to enact new legislation authorizing the Treasury to disburse these payments.

In early July, Trump signed a major tax-and‑spending law that adds new deductions but includes no tariff‑funded rebates. It also creates a $6,000 senior deduction, which phases out for singles earning over $75,000 or couples over $150,000.

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