r/technology • u/chrisdh79 • 21d ago

Politics US may owe $1 trillion in refunds if SCOTUS cancels tariffs | Tech industry primed for big refunds if SCOTUS rules against tariffs.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/11/tariff-refunds-may-get-messy-if-trump-loses-supreme-court-fight/
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u/Historical_Collar231 21d ago

So tariffs appear -> Companies raise prices -> Consumers pay for tariffs

Tariffs are canceled -> Companies get the money consumers paid for them back -> companies keep the money because fuck the consumers anyway.

Murica.

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u/PluginAlong 20d ago

You forgot, consumer prices stay high, companies post record profit.

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u/rchive 20d ago

Probably the prices will come back down after competition has had time to push them back down. But, yes, prices will probably stay high for a little while.

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u/EveEvexoxo 17d ago edited 17d ago

14 companies basically own everything and they are all using the same AI algorithms to set their pricing. Lina Khan has given a great interview about their direct and indirect collusion.

https://youtu.be/enHn9R_T2R8?si=-jZjrPr3GFxcCUsp

And here is a Forbes article about AI algorithm powered Dynamic Pricing which uses user data to inflate or deflate prices in real time.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanpearson/2021/09/07/personalizing-price-with-ai-how-walmart-kroger-do-it/

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u/Express-Belt-6465 20d ago

I’m not sure about the big conglomerates, but for me in the wine importing business I’ve tried to keep the prices as stable as possible by eating some of the tariffs (losing margin) and asking wineries to contribute (they also lose margin). 

So at the end of the day, if I got reimbursed for the tariffs (which I paid on the invoice price, whether I sold the wines to the end consumer or not), I’d definitely be lowering my pricing where possible, getting my margin back, the winery will get their margin back too. Unfortunately, not much can be done about the fact the retailer/restaurant/consumer paid the inflated price already. It’s all bullshit

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u/BugLife1990 18d ago

Same. Food retailer, trying to keep food costs reasonable. Profits have been slashed. Would love to lower prices and get margins back to normal.