The US Court of International Trade has ordered the administration of President Donald Trump to reimburse companies for the global tariffs paid on imported goods. The approximate amount that needs to be refunded to importers exceeds $130 billion.
This is reported by Finway
Details of the Court Ruling
Judge Richard Eaton instructed the US Customs and Border Protection to finalize the value of imported goods without the imposition of tariffs and to make the corresponding payments to companies. Typically, importers pay a preliminary amount of tariffs upon importing products, after which a final liquidation occurs approximately 314 days later – a process in which the exact tax amount is calculated.
“Customs knows how to do this,” Eaton said during the court session.
The judge emphasized that the agency has the technical capability to adjust its systems for regular payments if importers have overpaid based on the calculated tariff.
Administration’s Response and Further Legal Actions
The US government has already received over $130 billion from these disputed tariff payments, which were part of Trump’s trade policy. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court did not provide clear instructions regarding the refund mechanism, leading to uncertainty for importers and slowing down the compensation process.
It is expected that the Trump administration will appeal this decision, seeking to suspend its enforcement. A representative from the Department of Justice attempted to secure a stay of the court’s ruling during the appeal process but was denied.
Recall that last month, the US Supreme Court ruled the imposition of tariffs on imports from most countries, enacted last year, as illegal. Following this, numerous companies filed lawsuits seeking compensation for damages.