On June 15, 2026, the Supreme Court declined to hear HMTX Industries, LLC v. United States, the long-running case that sought to overturn the Section 301 China tariffs first imposed during the Trump Administration. With that one-line denial of certiorari, a nearly six-year legal fight is over, and the duties importers have paid on “List 3” and “List 4A” and sought refunds on will remain the property of the government.

How we got here

The tariffs date back to a 2017 investigation by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) into China’s technology-transfer and intellectual-property practices. After an initial round of duties on roughly $50 billion of Chinese goods (Lists 1 and 2), USTR sharply expanded the action: List 3 added duties on about $200 billion of imports beginning in September 2018, and List 4A added duties on roughly $120 billion more starting in September 2019.

In September 2020, a small group of importers led by HMTX Industries and Jasco Products sued at the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT), arguing that USTR had exceeded its statutory authority and violated the Administrative Procedure Act when it created Lists 3 and 4A. Their case became the test case for more than 3,600 nearly identical lawsuits filed by importers across the economy.

The courts were not persuaded. The CIT upheld the tariffs in 2023 after requiring USTR to better explain its reasoning, and on September 25, 2025 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed that decision in full. The Supreme Court’s denial leaves that ruling in place as the final word.

What the Section 301 China tariffs ruling means for importers

A denial of certiorari is not a ruling on the merits, but the practical effect is the same as a loss: the Federal Circuit’s decision stands, and there is no further avenue to challenge these duties. In plain terms:

• The Section 301 China tariffs on List 3 and List 4A remain lawfully in effect.
• Refund claims based on the legal theories in this case are foreclosed.
• These duties should be treated as a permanent cost of importing affected Chinese-origin goods, not a temporary measure that might be unwound.

It is also worth keeping this case in its own lane. It concerns the Section 301 China tariffs specifically, and is separate from other tariff actions and disputes that have moved through the courts under different legal authorities.

Frequently asked questions

Are the Section 301 China tariffs still in effect after this ruling?
Yes. The Supreme Court’s denial leaves the Federal Circuit decision in place, so the List 3 and List 4A duties remain in force.

Can I still get a refund of the Section 301 duties I paid?
Not on the grounds raised in this case. The legal theories used to challenge Lists 3 and 4A have been rejected, and the litigation is over.

Does this affect all China tariffs?
This case dealt specifically with the Section 301 tariffs on Lists 3 and 4A. Other tariff measures rest on different legal authorities and are not governed by this decision.