It might feel like things have gone quiet on the tariff front since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled many of the Trump administration’s tariffs illegal in February.  But Colorado’s small businesses are still trying to make sense of the administration’s trade policies and, in some instances, get their money back.

Take Giuseppe and Alisha Bosco, the husband and wife team that owns Terra Madre Wine Imports in Edwards. Last year, they paid a 15% tariff on three shipping containers of wine from Italy.

They’ve submitted an application for a refund on those taxes through an online portal set up by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. They estimate they are owed roughly $40,000. But there’s no way to know for sure.

“The amount of money that we think that we’re going to be refunded is very much up in the air,” said Alisha Bosco.

They’ve called Customs and Border Protection to get more clarity.

“They have a system where they will call you back and they actually have, and they’ve answered all my questions, but they’re not completely clear on everything as well. So they have their guidelines, but it’s constantly changing, so it’s difficult for them as well,” she said.

Import businesses limbo

Import businesses like Terra Madre actually write the checks for tariffs on goods when they cross the border. The money is automatically deducted from their account and eventually gets deposited into the U.S. Treasury. Many, like the Boscos, are in limbo waiting for the Trump administration to process refunds.

“We’ve been technically approved, but I am not a hundred percent sure,” Bosco said. “I don’t know anybody in my business who has gotten the money back yet.”

Bosco says they could really use that $40,000 to cover all of their increased costs — like the cost of fuel. They’re paying roughly 50 percent more this year for fuel than they were a year ago due to the war with Iran.

“It’s kind of double because we’re paying fuel surcharges from Italy for the boat and then from the port to Colorado as well,” Bosco said.

She ships her goods into ports in New Jersey and Houston.

Some tariffs still imposed

On top of that, President Trump levied a 10 percent across-the-board tariff on all goods from all countries using a different authority after the court knocked down the centerpiece of his trade agenda.

“He found a little loophole where he can still collect,” Bosco said.

The Boscos are largely in the dark about when they might get their money back. There’s nothing about timing in the portal, according to Alisha.

“I did a little research and it said 60 to 90 days is probably when you should expect to get that money back, which would put us sometime between July and August,” she said.

The tariffs have already taken a toll, despite the prospect of getting a refund, she said.

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