U.S. Judge Warns DOJ Appeal Could Disrupt $85 Billion Tariff Refund Process

According to BlockBeats, on June 5, federal judge Richard Eaton warned in a public letter that a Department of Justice appeal could disrupt an online refund system that has already processed at least $85 billion in tariff refunds. Judge Eaton questioned the legal position of the DOJ, which filed the appeal claiming the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) lacks legal authority to reopen finalized import declarations.

The case affects approximately 330,000 importers who paid disputed tariffs. The DOJ maintains it established the online refund system under its own authority and disputes the judge's jurisdiction to issue refunds for claims not independently filed in the trade court.