Trump Faces Mounting Pressure Over Tariffs, Trillions of Rupiah at\nRisk<\/p>\n
Washington, CNBC Indonesia - The administration of United States\nPresident Donald Trump is currently developing a secret legal strategy\nto retain billions of dollars in tariff revenue. This move is being\ntaken despite the US Supreme Court ruling that the collection of these\ntariffs was illegal.<\/p>\n
Five sources familiar with the internal discussions revealed to\nPolitico on Thursday (February 26, 2026) that officials in various\ndepartments are now rushing to find loopholes to avoid having to return\nthe money to affected companies.<\/p>\n
According to reports, initial ideas include policies to discourage\ncompanies from filing claims for refunds, as well as technical efforts\nto prevent the government from repaying the money in order to protect\nthe state\u2019s coffers.<\/p>\n
Two sources mentioned that one of the strategies being prepared is to\nclaim that the tariffs paid in the past year remain valid under a new\nlegal framework being prepared by the government. Additionally, there is\nan option for companies to \u201cjump the queue\u201d for refunds if they agree to\nrelinquish a portion of the money to the government.<\/p>\n
This legal turmoil comes amid the Trump administration\u2019s promise last\nyear, through the Department of Justice, to repay tariffs plus interest\nto businesses if the government lost in court. However, this stance now\nappears to be softening as the administration faces significant fiscal\npressures.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrump is trying to paint a picture that the courts have not yet\ndecided what to do with the money. The normal refund process takes about\ntwo and a half years, which gives the government two years before there\nis any real doubt that they are not sincere about returning the money,\u201d\nsaid one of the anonymous sources.<\/p>\n
To date, the White House, the Department of the Treasury, the\nDepartment of Commerce, the Office of the United States Trade\nRepresentative (USTR), and the Department of Homeland Security have not\nissued an official comment regarding the plan. However, the stakes\ninvolve more than US$133 billion (approximately Rp 2,245 trillion) that\nhas been collected from importers.<\/p>\n
The president director of the logistics giant FedEx has also spoken\nout, becoming the first major company to file a lawsuit demanding a full\nrefund of the tariffs it has paid. Business groups from various sectors\nare also urging the government to immediately comply with the court\u2019s\nruling.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is clear that the courts will not be pleased if the government\nnot only breaks its promise but also forces everyone to file a lawsuit\njust to get their money back,\u201d said Jeffrey Schwab, a lawyer from VOS\nSelections, one of the companies suing the government.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade\nRepresentative Jamieson Greer have signaled that the government will\nfollow the process set by the judge, although they remain vocal in\ndefending the tariff policy. Bessent has even openly expressed his\ndisapproval of the refunds.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a feeling that the American people will not see (the\nrefunds). Tariff refunds are the most blatant form of corporate\nwelfare,\u201d Bessent said in an interview with Fox News.<\/p>\n
Tariff revenue is a major pillar of Trump\u2019s economy. The White House\npreviously projected tariff revenue of US$4 trillion (Rp 67,520\ntrillion) over the next ten years to cover the deficit resulting from a\nmassive tax cut package. Without tariff revenue, the US national debt is\nprojected to swell by US$3.4 trillion (Rp 57,392 trillion).<\/p>\n
Currently, the US International Trade Court is preparing to process\nmore than 1,000 cases related to refunds. Experts warn that the\nDepartment of Justice is likely to use a slow-moving litigation\nstrategy, such as challenging claims shipment by shipment or appealing\nunfavorable rulings.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one is expecting a quick answer on these refunds. Trump has said\nhe expects legal battles for years, and for me, that means the\ngovernment will not make it easy,\u201d said Tami Overby, a partner at the\nDGA Government Relations consulting firm.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/trump-faces-mounting-pressure-over-tariffs-trillions-of-rupiah-at-risk-1772160813", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }