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The Trump administration appealed a judge’s order on Tuesday that mandated refunds for the US president’s global tariffs, which the Supreme Court struck down earlier this year.
The appeal threatens to disrupt an active repayment operation handled by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that involves roughly $166 billion in revenue.
In a court filing last month, the CBP reported that it was on track to process approximately $85 billion in repayments and had already approved $20.6 billion for disbursement.
The legal battle stems from President Donald Trump’s swift actions after returning to the White House last year, when he used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose sweeping tariffs at varying rates on allies and competitors.
In February, the high court ruled that Trump had exceeded his authority in executing these duties.
A judge from the Court of International Trade subsequently ordered the refunds but allowed the CBP room to comply.
In March, the agency estimated that more than 330,000 importers could qualify for the repayments.
Hundreds of companies, ranging from small businesses to major corporations like Costco and FedEx, have sought to reclaim their money.
Trump has openly pressured businesses by stating he would remember US companies that declined to seek tariff refunds, signalling that he might view those firms more favourably.
Although the Supreme Court ruling did not affect Trump’s sector-specific tariffs, the US leader has already used separate authorities to impose a temporary 10-per cent tariff on imports while US officials work to enact more permanent duties.
