Trump administration seeks delay in tariff refunds battle

US President Donald Trump's administration is seeking to delay legal proceedings linked to tariff refunds for importers, a court filing showed on Friday (27 February), a week after the Supreme Court struck down his global duties.

The court ruling last week marked a stunning rebuke of the president's signature economic policy and opened the doors to what experts say will be a complicated, legally fraught refund process as importers sue for their money back.

The administration argued on Friday for a delay of up to four months, before litigation on refunds is brought up again before the US Court of International Trade.

"In a case on review from a federal court, the Supreme Court sends down its judgment 32 days after entry of judgment," the government said in its filing to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

It argued that the court should allow for a further delay of "90 days to allow the political branches an opportunity to consider options."

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit had ruled in August last year that many of Trump's tariffs were illegal, but returned the question of refunds to the Court of International Trade.

It held off issuing its mandate, however, as Trump took the case to the Supreme Court.

But the high court last week ruled that Trump had exceeded his authority in imposing sweeping duties on various countries, striking them down. This ruling did not affect Trump's sector-specific tariffs on goods like steel and autos.

In response to the ruling, Trump has already tapped a different law to impose a new 10% tariff on imports into the United States.

Earlier on Friday, Trump lashed out again at the top court's ruling that struck down his tariffs, claiming that this would allow countries and companies to continue "ripping off" the United States.

"Is a Rehearing or Readjudication of this case possible???" he wrote on his Truth Social platform.