US Judge to Meet Parties on Trump Tariff Refunds

Closed-door 'settlement conference' aims to establish refund process for $175 billion in illegally collected tariffs

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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A U.S. judge will meet behind closed doors with government lawyers on Friday to discuss a process for refunding up to $175 billion in illegally collected tariffs imposed during the Trump administration. The meeting, described as a 'settlement conference', will involve lawyers representing the customs agency responsible for reimbursing over 300,000 importers who paid the tariffs, which were recently struck down as unconstitutional.

Why it matters

The refund process is unprecedented in scope, requiring manual review of tens of millions of tariff payments. The judge overseeing the case wants to establish a streamlined process that avoids importers having to individually sue for refunds, which could be costly and time-consuming for the small businesses affected.

The details

Judge Richard Eaton of the U.S. Court of International Trade will lead the closed-door meeting with government lawyers on Friday. The case was brought by a single importer, Atmus Filtration Inc, which paid $11 million in illegal tariffs. Eaton issued an order this week directing U.S. Customs and Border Protection to begin refunding the tariffs to potentially hundreds of thousands of importers using the agency's existing internal process.

  • The closed-door meeting is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET on Friday, March 6, 2026.
  • Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a broad swath of Trump's tariffs, ruling that the former president had exceeded his authority.

The players

Judge Richard Eaton

A judge on the U.S. Court of International Trade who is overseeing the process to refund the illegally collected tariffs.

Atmus Filtration Inc

An importer that paid $11 million in illegal tariffs and filed the case that is now determining the refund process for hundreds of thousands of other importers.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

The government agency responsible for reimbursing over 300,000 importers that paid the tariffs, which were recently ruled unconstitutional.

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What they’re saying

“I don't believe that any of this has to be chaotic with respect to anybody, because I know that you're going to try to come up with a way of doing it.”

— Judge Richard Eaton

What’s next

The judge expects the customs agency lawyers to attend the Friday meeting and present initial ideas on how to efficiently process the refunds for the 79 million tariff payments that need to be reviewed.

The takeaway

This case highlights the significant logistical challenges the government faces in refunding the over $175 billion in illegally collected tariffs imposed during the Trump administration. The judge is seeking to establish a streamlined process that avoids burdening small businesses with the need to individually sue for refunds.