Trump administration warns of slow payouts for tariff refunds amid intensifying trade disputes

The Trump administration has officially cautioned that the process for refunding billions in tariffs struck down by the US Supreme Court will be a “prolonged and complex undertaking”, according to court documents filed by the Department of Justice.

However, the demand for compensation regarding tariffs that the court deemed illegal drew heavy criticism from Donald Trump.

In line with recent revelations, the Justice Department indicated no plans to ask the Supreme Court to rehear the case, despite President Trump’s comments earlier on Friday.

As per the ongoing claims that refunds would ultimately cost hundreds of billions of dollars, the president wrote: “I am sure that the supreme court did not have this in mind.”

Trump posted on Truth Social, “ It doesn't make sense that Countries and Companies took advantage of us for decades, receiving Billions and Billions of Dollars that they should not have been allowed to receive, would now be entitled to an undeserved windfall, the likes of which the world has never seen before, as a result of this highly disappointing.”

Following the Supreme Court's landmark decision last week, dozens of companies have rushed to court seeking to strike down various tariffs, joining hundreds that had already filed suits in anticipation of the ruling.

The Trump administration has uncovered legal mechanisms to enforce its trade agenda, imposing a sweeping but temporary 10% US tariff earlier this week. The new duty was enacted for a 150-day period under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.