Rodney S. Scott, who led Customs and Border Protection during the Trump administration, must appear at a federal court hearing to explain delays in refunding tariffs declared unlawful by the Supreme Court. The judge expressed ongoing concerns that the government has not fully complied with an order to return duties collected under the controversial tariff regime.
Trump’s tariff system, implemented under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), faced legal challenges due to questions over the law’s applicability to tariffs. After the Supreme Court invalidated the duties, Scott’s agency began accepting reimbursement claims but has only processed a partial amount compared to the total collected.
The Court of International Trade has pressed the administration to finalize refunds. A recent filing showed Customs had refunded claims worth about $127 billion out of $166 billion collected. However, millions of tariff entries remain unaddressed, prompting the judge to demand Scott clarify when full compliance will occur. The hearing is scheduled for June, focusing on the timing and scope of Customs’ refund efforts.
The tariff program sparked widespread public backlash amid rising consumer costs and faced criticism even within Republican ranks. While Trump attempted to replace the struck-down tariff framework with another global scheme, that too encountered rigorous legal opposition, leaving the fate of past collected duties unsettled.