Trump Suggests Tariff Refunds Will Need to Be Litigated

The legal process could take up to five years, the president said.

Shipping cranes stand above container ships loaded with shipping containers at the Port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles on Feb. 20, 2026. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that President Trump’s sweeping emergency tariffs on most U.S. trading partners were illegal. Mario Tama/Getty Images

The Supreme Court has blocked the Trump administration from using an emergency powers law to issue tariffs, possibly paving the way for refunds to companies that have been paying the extra costs since last April.

But President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday that those refunds may be contested in courts for years to come.