No lawsuits required: U.S. Customs is working on a system to refund tariffs
NPR • • nation
Key Points:
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection is developing a system to deliver tariff refunds within 45 days following the Supreme Court's ruling that struck down many of President Trump's tariffs.
- The agency's current computer system cannot handle the volume of refunds immediately, but officials plan to use an existing electronic portal to streamline the refund process without requiring individual lawsuits from importers.
- The government has collected approximately $166 billion in tariffs from over 330,000 businesses, all of which must be refunded with interest as ordered by Judge Richard Eaton of the U.S. Court of International Trade.
- The Justice Department's earlier assurances that tariff money would be refunded with interest helped justify continued tariff collection despite lower court rulings deeming them illegal, and recent
