ISTANBUL

A US federal court on Monday blocked an effort by the Trump administration to postpone refunds of tariffs worth billions, following a ruling by the US Supreme Court deeming them unlawful.

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit advanced the next stage of the refund process by referring the matter to a lower court, rejecting a request by the US Department of Justice to delay proceedings by 90 days.

"Nothing about the refund issue warrants any delay in issuing this Court's mandate, let alone a staggering three months' delay," the court filing said, adding that "the proper time to issue the mandate is now."

US Department of Justice lawyers warned that the refund process could take years, despite Trump administration officials repeatedly cautioning that the government might have to repay tariffs collected from importers if it lost before the US Supreme Court.

On Feb. 20, the US Supreme Court ruled that sweeping tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on most countries were unlawful, paving the way for importers to seek refunds.

By mid-December, the government had collected over $130 billion from the tariffs and could face refunds totaling $175 billion. The US Supreme Court did not provide guidance on refunds, leaving the US Court of International Trade to determine how the complex repayment process will proceed.