US Court of International Trade Judge Richard Eaton adjusted a compliance timeline to allow Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 45 days to build an automated refund system.

CBP must return $166 billion in tariffs to over 330,000 importers after a Supreme Court ruling. CBP official Brandon Lord said that automation will save more than 4 million work hours compared to manual processing, with completion targeted for April 20.

Interest on these duties grows by approximately $650 million monthly, potentially reaching $10 billion by year-end. Judge Eaton, overseeing more than 2,000 lawsuits, seeks a streamlined process to avoid further litigation. He ordered a progress update by March 12 to ensure taxpayer-funded interest costs remain limited.