General Discussion

The Court of International Trade has overseen large-scale refunds before. Congress enacted a harbor maintenance tax in 1986 that was assessed on the value of all cargo into and out of U.S. ports. The Supreme Court ruled part of the tax was unconstitutional in 1998. The Court of International Trade oversaw a refund process involving more than 100,000 claimants that was managed by Judge Jane Restani, who remains on the court.

Trade experts said the government has tracked tariff payments and improved recordkeeping systems that should make it easier to determine the size of refunds. Small businesses have called on the Trump administration to issue automatic repayments and have expressed concern that the government might scrutinize entry paperwork in a way that slows the refund process.

How will companies get refunds now that the US Supreme Court has rejected Trump's tariffs?