On March 6, 2026, the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) suspended its prior order requiring U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to immediately comply with instructions tied to refunds of tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
UNCERTAIN SUSPENSION TIMING
Judge Richard K. Eaton issued the suspension after reviewing the declaration of Brandon Lord, Executive Director of the Trade Programs Directorate within CBP’s Office of Trade, and following a conference held on March 6.
The order states that the court’s amended March 5, 2026 order is suspended “to the extent that it directs immediate compliance.”
CBP DECLARATION FILED IN CIT
The announcement came shortly after Brandon Lord, Executive Director of the Trade Programs Directorate in CBP’s Office of Trade submitted a declaration citing CBP’s current entry and liquidation framework, the scale of entries tied to IEEPA tariffs , and why the agency says it cannot immediately carry out the court’s directive using its existing systems and processes.
READ BRANDON LORD’S DECLARATION: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cit.19346/gov.uscourts.cit.19346.31.0_1.pdf
The development pauses the court’s directive for immediate action while CBP outlines operational challenges tied to implementation. According to the notice, CBP also indicated it is evaluating an automated refund process that could be ready in 45 days.
This suspension does not resolve the broader dispute over IEEPA tariff refunds, but it does delay immediate execution of the court’s earlier refund-related order.
Stay up-to-date on freight news with Green’s Weekly Freight Market Update by following us on LinkedIn. For continuous updates, make sure to check out our website at greenworldwide.com.
