The Trump administration says it can't process tariff refunds because of computer problems

"The CBP's admission comes after the Supreme Court struck down the tariffs imposed by Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) last month. This week, the International Trade Court ruled that importers impacted by the tariffs are entitled to refunds with interest. The CBP estimates that it collected around $166 billion in IEEPA duties as of March 4th, 2026."

"In the filing, Lord says that using the department's existing technology, it would take more than 4.4 million hours to process refunds for the over 53.2 million entries with IEEPA duties. Despite these current limitations, the CBP says it's "confident" it can develop and launch new capabilities to "streamline and consolidate refunds and interest payments on an importer basis" - but this could take 45 days."

""The process will be simpler and more efficient than the existing functionalities, and CBP will provide guidance on how to file refund declarations in the new system," Lord says."

The US Customs and Border Protection acknowledged it cannot comply with orders to process refunds from tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act after the Supreme Court struck them down. CBP estimates $166 billion in IEEPA duties were collected. The International Trade Court ruled importers are entitled to refunds with interest, prompting lawsuits from companies like Nintendo, FedEx, and Costco. CBP's current Automated Commercial Environment system would require over 4.4 million hours to process refunds for 53.2 million entries. CBP states it can develop new capabilities within 45 days to streamline refund processing on an importer basis.

Read at The Verge