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

CNBC: “U.S. Customs and Border Protection told a U.S. Court of International Trade judge on Friday that it is not currently able to comply with his order to begin refunding about $166 billion collected in reciprocal tariffs imposed last year by President Donald Trump. CBP, in a court filing, cited its existing technology, processes and manpower requirements as the reasons it could not immediately comply with the conditions of Judge Richard Eaton’s order on the so-called IEEPA tariffs. The Supreme Court recently ruled those duties are illegal. But CBP also suggested in the new filing that it could begin issuing refunds by late April after revamping its technology. Brandon Lord, executive director of the trade programs directorate at CBP’s Office of Trade, in the filing said that as of Wednesday, more than 330,000 importers have made a total of over 53 million entries “in which they have deposited or paid duties imposed pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.” Trump had invoked that act to slap reciprocal tariffs in various amounts on imported products from most of the world’s countries, without authorization from Congress…”

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