US Judge Orders Stop on Assessing Trump’s Worldwide Tariffs

US Judge Tariff – (Web Desk) – A US judge on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to stop collecting global tariffs on imports for which customs payments haven’t been completed. Experts say this decision could pave the way for broader refunds.

Judge Richard Eaton of the US Court of International Trade in New York issued the ruling following last month’s Supreme Court decision, which blocked a number of Trump-era tariffs, dealing a major setback to his trade policies.

Eaton instructed US Customs and Border Protection to halt calculations of these now-invalid tariffs on unpaid imports. He also clarified that he is the sole judge authorized to handle cases related to refunds of duties imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which Trump had used to impose sweeping tariffs on nearly all trading partners.

Since returning to office, Trump relied on this authority for extensive tariffs, but the Supreme Court ruled that he had overstepped his power. The ruling now opens the door for importers to seek refunds on duties that have generated more than $130 billion for the government as of late 2025.

“This could cover nearly every import where these duties were paid, meaning the government might have to refund them all,” said former US trade official Ryan Majerus.

“We’ll have to wait and see if the three-judge panel in the main case issues a similar order or if we get other indications from the court,” said Majerus, now a partner at King & Spalding.

But he added that the judge in this case stated there is no risk of other judges on the court reaching contrary conclusions.

“This order could certainly be read as a statement from the court, and I’ll be interested to see how the government responds both on scope and implementation,” he said.

Trump has used a different law to impose a temporary 10-percent tariff on imports just days after the high court’s ruling, as he moved to rebuild his economic agenda.

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The president has threatened to hike this level to 15 percent, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that the increase could be implemented this week.