Customs Says $11.4 Billion Is Tied Up in US Tariff Refund Appeal

A judge urged the Trump administration to back off its appeal of his order to fully refund $166 billion in tariffs overturned by the Supreme Court, saying it was unnecessary and would only create more delays for importers to get their money back.

Customs and Border Protection has been processing billions of dollars in refund claims through a new online portal for more than a month, yet a sticking point has emerged over how to handle tariff payments that the government contends are final and therefore can’t be reimbursed without a court order for each affected importer.

At a packed ...