Trump administration admits it can’t quickly refund $166 billion in duties ruled illegal by SCOTUS, citing massive processing backlog after global emergency tariffs struck down.
Court Clash
Judge Richard Eaton (CIT) ordered CBP to reliquidate 53M+ entries for 330K importers, ignoring IEEPA duties. Admin balks: Manual refunds = 4.4M man-hours (5 min/entry), crippling ops/national security. Proposes 45-day automated ACE fix for consolidated e-payments.
Tariff Fallout
SCOTUS rejected Trump’s novel IEEPA tariff use (Roberts/Barrett/Gorsuch joined liberals); prez slammed it as “embarrassment.” New tariffs face AG suits. Eaton paused immediate order Friday, averting appeal.
Logistical nightmare post-ruling—businesses wait amid Trump 2.0 trade wars. Huge stakes for importers.
