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U.S. appeals court denies Trump bid to delay tariff refund lawsuits
The tariffs ruled illegal had generated over US $130 billion for the U.S. government as of late 2025.
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AFP - Mon, 02, Mar 2026
- 16:10 EST
- 28
U.S. President Donald Trump signs a document in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. Feb.4, 2025. / Reuters/Elizabeth Frantz
A U.S. federal appeals court on March 2 rejected President Donald Trump's push to delay legal proceedings linked to tariff refunds, allowing the battle to proceed in a lower court.
The Supreme Court last month delivered a stinging rebuke of Trump's signature economic policy by striking down his global tariffs—opening the door to a complicated legal fight as companies sue for their money back.
The tariffs ruled illegal had generated over US $130 billion for the U.S. government as of late 2025.
ALSO READ: How will companies get refunds now that the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected Trump's tariffs?
The Trump administration argued on Feb. 27 for a delay of up to four months before litigation on refunds is brought up again at the US Court of International Trade.
But the demand was denied March 2 in an order by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
A group of small businesses whose case is before the court said in an earlier filing on Feb. 27 that the Trump administration's call for a months-long delay was "plainly unreasonable."
"This Court should not accept the government's invitation to grant forms of relief the Supreme Court obviously found inappropriate," they argued.
The Supreme Court decision does not impact Trump's sector-specific duties.
Rush for refunds
Trump's global tariffs have triggered a barrage of legal pushback.
The Liberty Justice Center, a group representing some of the small businesses challenging the tariffs, estimates that more than 900 claims seeking refunds have been filed in federal court.
These include claims by major firms like delivery and freight giant FedEx, which filed a suit last month, and warehouse retailer Costco, whose challenge came before the Supreme Court's ruling.
Others that have filed cases recently include appliance maker Dyson and cosmetics giant L'Oreal.
Some analysts estimate that over 1,000 corporate entities are already involved in the fight for repayments.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled in Aug. 2025 that many of Trump's tariffs were illegal but would return the question of refunds to the Court of International Trade.
It held off on returning the case to the lower court as Trump appealed to the Supreme Court—though on March 2 it lifted the halt.
"For months, the government insisted there was no irreparable harm because businesses could always be made whole through refunds," the Liberty Justice Center said in a statement last week.
"The government cannot have it both ways. It cannot argue there is no harm because refunds are available—and then delay when the time comes to return the money," it added.
After the high court struck down his country-specific tariffs, Trump tapped a different law to impose a new 10-percent duty on imports. He has threatened to hike the level to 15 percent.
On Feb. 27, Trump again slammed the ruling on social media: "Is a Rehearing or Readjudication of this case possible???"
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