A U.S. International Trade Court judge has warned that an appeal regarding tariff refunds from the Trump administration could disrupt the existing online claims system.
On June 3, Richard Eaton, a judge at the International Trade Court, stated in a letter released that if the Justice Department's request for immediate intervention by the appeals court is granted, it could impact the online claims system that has processed at least $85 billion in refunds.
The Justice Department contends that this online claims system was established under the government's own authority, not at the direction of Judge Eaton.
In response, Eaton acknowledged the government's efforts to disburse refunds but cautioned that any intervention in the ongoing litigation could hinder progress toward resolving the cases.
Eaton also submitted a 30-page document demonstrating that U.S. government agencies created the online claims system in response to his rulings, countering the government's assertion that it was built 'voluntarily.'
It is rare for a judge to directly rebut an appellant challenging their ruling. However, Bloomberg noted that the tariff refund litigation has been conducted in an unusually manner overall.
Previously, Eaton has overseen thousands of lawsuits filed by importers seeking tariff refunds. Most of these cases were on hold until the Supreme Court ruled in February that the so-called 'reciprocal tariff' was illegal.
The Liberty Justice Center, which represents small businesses, stated that the progress made in the illegal International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariff refund process was due to the court's order for the government to take action.
The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency reported that there are currently $85 billion worth of tariff refund claims being processed or in the process of being paid to importers.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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