Washington: A trade court has ruled that companies that paid certain tariffs imposed during President Donald Trump’s administration are eligible for refunds after those levies were struck down by the Supreme Court of the United States last month, according to a report by the BBC.
The decision directs federal authorities to begin returning the collected duties, marking a significant legal setback for the administration’s trade policy.
On March 4, the US Court of International Trade ordered US Customs and Border Protection to issue refunds for tariffs that were introduced last year under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
Judge Richard Eaton said that all importers affected by the duties are entitled to benefit from the Supreme Court’s ruling. “All importers of record whose entries were subject to IEEPA duties are entitled to the benefit" of the ruling, Eaton wrote, according to the BBC.
Despite the order, it remains unclear how the refund process will unfold and how quickly businesses will receive their payments. The ruling represents a notable setback for the Trump administration, which had relied on the tariffs as part of its broader trade strategy.
The administration had collected an estimated $130 billion (£97 billion) through tariffs imposed on most goods imported into the United States under the IEEPA framework.
