A federal trade court judge overseeing the refund process for tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump ordered on Wednesday that the administration complete the paperwork for imported goods without charging companies duties that have been invalidated.
The order by Richard Eaton—a senior judge on the U.S. Court of International Trade—will affect millions of customs entries submitted to the government and deemed unlawful following the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling.
More than 1,000 companies have filed lawsuits seeking refunds, hoping the government will now return tens of billions of dollars after the long-anticipated decision by the nation’s highest court. Eaton issued his order in a case brought by Atmus Filtration, but noted that the court’s chief judge had assigned him to handle all cases related to tariff refunds.
“Thus there is no danger that another judge—even in this court—will reach any contrary conclusions,” Eaton wrote.
“Any other approach would obstruct the efficient administration of justice, deny importers who have filed suit the prompt resolution of their claims, and entirely deprive those importers who have not filed suit of the benefit of the Supreme Court’s decision,” he continued.
In a 6—3 ruling, the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s argument that the 1977 emergency powers law granted him sweeping authority to impose tariffs. The court invalidated much of the sweeping duties he had imposed on trading partners around the world after returning to the White House.
Businesses have since pushed to accelerate the refund process, while the administration has so far opposed companies’ attempts to speed the procedure beyond its normal timeline.
At present, many importers have paid only preliminary estimates of the duties owed.
The judge’s new order requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to finalize such entries—a procedure known as “liquidation”—without including the tariff charges. For goods whose liquidation has already been completed, Eaton said officials must carry out the procedure again.
Even before the court order was issued, the Trump administration signaled that refunds could take time even after all procedures are properly completed.
“Regardless of the type of entry and the liquidation cycle, CBP requires a review period to ensure that no other customs laws have been violated and that no additional duties, taxes, or fees are owed,” wrote Brandon Lord, a senior official in the agency’s Office of Trade Programs.