US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent speaks arsenic US President Donald Trump signs enforcement orders successful the Oval Office of the White House successful Washington, DC connected September 5, 2025.
Mandel Ngan | Afp | Getty Images
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that helium is "confident" that President Donald Trump's tariff program "will win" astatine the Supreme Court, but warned his bureau would beryllium forced to contented monolithic refunds if the precocious tribunal rules against it.
If the tariffs are struck down, helium said, "we would person to springiness a refund connected astir fractional the tariffs, which would beryllium unspeakable for the Treasury," according to an interrogation connected NBC's "Meet the Press."
He added, however, that "if the tribunal says it, we'd person to bash it."
The Trump medication past week asked the Supreme Court for an "expedited ruling" to overturn an appeals tribunal determination that found most of his tariffs connected imports from different countries are illegal.
Generally, the Supreme Court could instrumentality arsenic agelong arsenic aboriginal adjacent summertime to contented a determination connected the legality of Trump's tariffs.
Bessent has said that "delaying a ruling until June 2026 could effect successful a script successful which $750 billion-$1 trillion successful tariffs person already been collected, and unwinding them could origin important disruption."
The imaginable of the authorities having to refund tariffs of that magnitude could mean an unprecedented windfall to the businesses and entities that paid them.
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The apical medication officials' comments travel arsenic Trump's tariffs look an uncertain aboriginal aft a national appeals tribunal ruled past period that astir of his "reciprocal tariffs" are illegal.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that Trump overstepped his statesmanlike authorization erstwhile helium introduced "reciprocal tariffs" connected astir each state arsenic portion of his "liberation day" announcement.
Trump has requested that the Supreme Court perceive arguments connected his entreaty successful aboriginal November and contented a last determination connected the legality of the disputed tariffs soon thereafter, according to filings obtained by NBC News from the plaintiffs successful the case.
Before tribunal action, Trump's tariffs were acceptable to impact astir 70% of U.S. goods imports, according to the Tax Foundation. If struck down, the duties would interaction conscionable astir 16%.
However, portion Bessent and others person expressed assurance that the Supreme Court volition regularisation successful its favor, the medication is moving connected backup plans successful lawsuit it does not.
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said Sunday that determination are "other ineligible authorities" that the medication could instrumentality if Trump's tariffs are blocked.
"There are different things that could hap should it spell that way," Hassett said connected CBS News' "Face the Nation" if the tariffs are overturned. Some of those efforts could see implementing tariffs through Section 232, oregon sector-specific levies.
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 allows the president to instrumentality levies "so that specified imports volition not truthful endanger to impair the nationalist security," pursuing an probe into commercialized practices, NBC News reports.
For example, the Trump medication successful August expanded its 50% steel and aluminum tariffs to see much than 400 further merchandise categories, according to the Department of Commerce. Trump has besides threatened to enforce steep tariffs connected semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.
Other levies that would not beryllium affected by Trump's tribunal conflict are those connected low-cost items. The medication officially eliminated the "de minimis exemption" on U.S.-bound goods valued astatine $800 oregon less.
On Saturday, the Universal Postal Union, an bureau of the UN, said postal postulation into the U.S. plummeted by much than 80% aft the Trump medication ended the tariff exemption connected inexpensive imports arsenic postal operators looked for guidance connected compliance with the caller rules.
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