Judge Gives Federal Government More Time to Start Refunding $166 Billion From Tariffs

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection had told the court that its current systems are not equipped to immediately handle a surge of refund claims.

Shipping cranes stand above container ships loaded with shipping containers at the Port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles on Feb. 20, 2026. Mario Tama/Getty Images

A federal judge on March 6 gave the Trump administration more time to start refunding about $166 billion in levies collected under the president’s global tariff structure that the Supreme Court recently invalidated.

Judge Richard K. Eaton, who sits on the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT), suspended the order he had issued earlier last week requiring the government to immediately begin the process of issuing refunds of duties implemented via the executive orders under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).