Trump Expected to Raise Tariffs to 15% as Judge Rules in Favor of Refunds

A federal judge ruled that companies are owed refunds for the emergency tariffs that were just struck down, and President Donald Trump announced that he will likely raise the temporary tariffs from 10% to 15%.

The Details: Judge Richard Eaton of the U.S. Court of International Trade wrote that he alone will hear cases pertaining to the tariffs Trump imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Though this ruling applied to the case brought by the Tennessee-based company Atmus Filtration, he also wrote that "all importers of record" were "entitled to benefit" from the Supreme Court's ruling that struck down these import taxes. Now, the Customs and Border Protection agency has to find a way to process refunds, as its system was not designed to handle mass refunds, according to a trade lawyer. The Trump administration is expected to challenge this ruling.

For Context: After the Supreme Court's decision on Feb. 20 that found the emergency tariffs to be unconstitutional, Trump announced a 10% tariff across the board that would be enforceable for 180 days until a vote from Congress. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that the US was likely to raise those tariffs to 15% this week. 

How the Media Covered It: Eaton's ruling about tariff refunds was covered more frequently by the Left than the Right. Associated Press (Left bias) quoted a law professor, who said, "This is a great decision for importers and consumers who paid." Epoch Times (Lean Right) highlighted other companies, including FedEx, that also sued the federal government over the overturned tariffs. BBC (Center) wrote that the conflicting messaging over tariffs from the White House "sparked widespread global confusion" and that "significant questions remain" about what the long-term import tax policies will be.

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