From Fox News: A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Wednesday to begin the drawn-out task of refunding billions of dollars to companies that paid tariffs the Supreme Court recently invalidated.
Judge Richard Eaton, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, laid out the estimated $130 billion refund process in a three-page order, saying it would begin with U.S. Customs and Border Protection calculating what importers would have paid without the now-invalid tariffs. Eaton also made clear he had sole jurisdiction over the refunds, which more than 1,000 companies have sued over in the U.S. Court of International Trade.
“The Chief Judge has indicated that I am the only judge who will hear cases pertaining to the refund of [International Emergency Economic Powers Act] duties,” Eaton wrote. “So there is no danger that another Judge, even one in this Court, will reach any contrary conclusions.”
The case in question was brought by Atmus Filtration, Inc., a company that paid President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which Trump imposed on nearly every country on an emergency basis under IEEPA last year.
In a 6-3 ruling in February, the Supreme Court blocked Trump’s use of the emergency law to impose sweeping tariffs, but made no orders about refunds in their ruling.
In a fiery dissent, Justice Brett Kavanaugh had warned of the “serious practical consequences” of a potential refund process.
However, Judge Eaton declared Thursday that all importers who paid the tarriffs are entitled to refunds, and is set to hold a closed-door conference with the parties involved in the case on Friday to further discuss the refund process.
The Trump administration is expected to appeal the ruling.
Clinton-appointed Senior Judge Richard K. Eaton ordered the Trump administration to begin steps toward more than $100 billion in tariff refunds after the Supreme Court ruled the tariffs illegal.
Businesses are now seeking to recover the payments plus interest. pic.twitter.com/QzWzX393g6
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) March 5, 2026
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