Heineken is asking the US government to refund tariffs

The Netherlands | Heineken has started a court case against the US government over too-high import tariffs, CFO Harold van den Broek told company shareholders at Heineken’s annual general meeting on 23 April. He was quoted as saying by Dutch media that Heineken has paid “tens of millions of euros too much” to import raw materials and finished products into the United States.

US President Donald Trump introduced tariffs on a wide range of goods on 2 April 2025, but the Supreme Court ruled in February that he was wrong to use legislation from 1977 as a justification, opening the door to legal action.

The New York Times newspaper reported on 20 April, that the US administration has reserved USD 166 billion to pay back excessive tariffs and has launched a special website for companies to file their claims. The newspaper also said that more than 3,000 businesses had already sued the US administration in a bid to secure their refunds before the application website launched, with some cases filed even predating the Supreme Court’s ruling.