ThinkTankWeekly

The Trump Administration Will Not Give Back the Tariff Money It Illegally Collected

CATO | 2026-06-01 | economy

Topics: Trade, United States

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English Summary

The Trump administration, despite a court order, is appealing a ruling requiring the return of $85 billion in tariff revenue illegally collected from American importers. This decision stems from CBP’s initial resistance to processing refunds through a newly developed system (CAPE), citing inadequate capacity, and a subsequent order from Judge Eaton demanding accountability. The government’s appeal seeks to limit refunds to those importers who have filed lawsuits, effectively excluding a significant portion of affected businesses, particularly smaller ones. This action highlights a continued disregard for legal judgments and raises concerns about the government’s commitment to rectifying past actions.

中文摘要

儘管法院下令,特朗普政府仍將上訴要求返還非法從美國進口商處收取的85億美元關稅收入一案。此舉源於關稅和邊境保護局(CBP)最初拒絕通過新開發的系統(CAPE)處理退款,理由是能力不足,並在法官伊頓的命令下要求追究責任。政府的上訴旨在將退款限制於已提起訴訟的進口商,從而排除大量受影響的企業,尤其是小型企業。此舉凸顯了政府對法律判決的持續漠視,並引發了對政府糾正過去行為承諾的擔憂。

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