US government challenges universal tariff refund order

The United States government has filed a brief arguing that a Court of International Trade judge exceeded his judicial authority by ordering universal tariff refunds. The government contends that the mandate to reimburse all firms subjected to certain tariffs—including those that did not participate in the original legal action—violates legal precedents regarding universal injunctions.

Federal attorneys cited a June 2025 Supreme Court ruling to argue that judicial relief should be restricted to the specific plaintiffs involved in a suit rather than extending across all impacted entities. While U.S. Customs and Border Protection has already processed and certified $100 billion in refunds, the government maintains that companies who did not bring suit are free to file their own legal actions rather than receiving automatic, court-mandated reimbursements.