US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent speaks as US President Donald Trump indicators government orders within the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on September 5, 2025.
Mandel Ngan | Afp | Getty Images
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated Sunday that he’s “confident” that President Donald Trump’s tariff plan “will win” on the Supreme Court, however warned his company can be compelled to difficulty large refunds if the excessive courtroom guidelines towards it.
If the tariffs are struck down, he stated, “we would have to give a refund on about half the tariffs, which would be terrible for the Treasury,” in line with an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
He added, nevertheless, that “if the court says it, we’d have to do it.”
The Trump administration final week requested the Supreme Court for an “expedited ruling” to overturn an appeals courtroom resolution that discovered most of his tariffs on imports from other countries are illegal.
Generally, the Supreme Court might take so long as early subsequent summer time to difficulty a choice on the legality of Trump’s tariffs.
Bessent has stated that “delaying a ruling until June 2026 could result in a scenario in which $750 billion-$1 trillion in tariffs have already been collected, and unwinding them could cause significant disruption.”
The prospect of the federal government having to refund tariffs of that magnitude might imply an unprecedented windfall to the companies and entities that paid them.
The prime administration officers’ feedback come as Trump’s tariffs face an unsure future after a federal appeals courtroom dominated final month that almost all of his “reciprocal tariffs” are unlawful.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit dominated that Trump overstepped his presidential authority when he launched “reciprocal tariffs” on nearly each nation as a part of his “liberation day” announcement.
Trump has requested that the Supreme Court hear arguments on his attraction in early November and difficulty a ultimate resolution on the legality of the disputed tariffs quickly thereafter, in line with filings obtained by NBC News from the plaintiffs within the case.
Before courtroom motion, Trump’s tariffs have been set to have an effect on almost 70% of U.S. items imports, according to the Tax Foundation. If struck down, the duties would impression simply roughly 16%.
However, whereas Bessent and others have expressed confidence that the Supreme Court will rule in its favor, the administration is engaged on backup plans in case it doesn’t.
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett stated Sunday that there are “other legal authorities” that the administration might take if Trump’s tariffs are blocked.
“There are other things that could happen should it go that way,” Hassett stated on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” if the tariffs are overturned. Some of these efforts might embrace implementing tariffs through Section 232, or sector-specific levies.
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 permits the president to implement levies “so that such imports will not so threaten to impair the national security,” following an investigation into commerce practices, NBC News reports.
For instance, the Trump administration in August expanded its 50% steel and aluminum tariffs to incorporate greater than 400 extra product classes, in line with the Department of Commerce. Trump has additionally threatened to impose steep tariffs on semiconductors and prescribed drugs.
Other levies that might not be affected by Trump’s courtroom battle are these on low-cost gadgets. The administration officially eliminated the “de minimis exemption” on U.S.-bound items valued at $800 or much less.
On Saturday, the Universal Postal Union, an company of the UN, stated postal visitors into the U.S. plummeted by more than 80% after the Trump administration ended the tariff exemption on low-cost imports as postal operators seemed for steerage on compliance with the brand new guidelines.