Trump Administration Appeals Order for Universal Tariff Refunds

The Government of the United States filed an appeal Monday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to block a Court of International Trade order requiring universal tariff refunds. The order mandates that U.S. Customs and Border Protection issue refunds to all affected companies, regardless of whether they filed individual lawsuits.

Government lawyers argue that Judge Richard Eaton overstepped his authority by issuing a universal injunction. The administration cites a June 2025 Supreme Court decision regarding birthright citizenship to argue that such broad injunctions are legally limited. The government contends that companies whose administrative refund window has closed must file individual lawsuits to recover their funds.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has already processed and certified $100 billion in refunds. Judge Eaton has maintained that the legal limits on universal injunctions do not apply to this specific case.