The U.S. government is on track to begin issuing refunds for President Trump's invalidated tariffs around May 11, according to court documents released Thursday. U.S. Court of International Trade Judge Richard Eaton disclosed the timeline after a closed hearing on Wednesday, signaling a major step in unwinding the trade penalties the Supreme Court nullified in February.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been scrambling to return $166 billion in tariffs, plus interest, to importers following the high court's 6-3 ruling. The refunds go directly to companies that paid the duties, not to consumers, though shipping giants like FedEx and UPS have pledged to pass savings along. The process is being overseen by Eaton, a Clinton appointee, who demanded regular updates from the government.
CBP's electronic filing system went live last week, and importers have already uploaded 21% of the affected entries, Eaton noted in his order. However, the rollout has been rocky, with trade lawyers and importers reporting glitches, long wait times, and difficulty resetting credentials as tens of thousands of firms rush to reclaim funds. Similar administrative hurdles have surfaced in other Trump-era policy reversals, such as the disputed gains from government intel stakes.
At the closed-door hearing, Eaton said he discussed these problems with CBP officials, including issues with interest rate calculations and the agency's methodology. “The discussion also involved questions regarding the interest rate that applies to refund amounts and the method Customs uses to calculate interest,” Eaton wrote. He ordered CBP to post updated guidance on its website soon and to file a progress report with the court by May 12.
The refund process is one of the largest tariff reimbursements in U.S. history, stemming from Trump's use of national security authority to impose levies on steel, aluminum, and other goods. The Supreme Court struck down those tariffs as unconstitutional, a decision that reverberated across global trade and drew comparisons to other legal battles over executive power, including the recent rejection of Trump's bid to overturn an $83 million defamation verdict.
For importers, the refunds offer a lifeline after years of litigation. But the pace of payments remains uncertain, as CBP works through a backlog of claims. Eaton's order suggests the court will keep pressure on the agency to move quickly, with another hearing likely in the coming weeks to assess progress. Meanwhile, the political fallout from the tariff saga continues, with polls showing nearly 6 in 10 Americans actively avoiding Trump-related news, complicating any narrative of victory for the former president.
The case underscores the enduring legal and logistical challenges of unwinding Trump's trade policies, even as the Biden administration navigates its own tariff decisions. For now, importers are watching the calendar: May 11 is the first real test of whether the government can deliver on a promise to return billions in contested duties.
