Higher Tariff Enforcement Looms in Tandem With Refund Launch

Trade lawyers are warning importers to brace for increased scrutiny from Customs as the agency prepares to process billions in tariff refunds.

About $166 billion has been collected under the tariffs that the Supreme Court struck down Feb. 20.

Customs and Border Protection hasn’t fully finalized the details of the refund claim process. But attorneys are telling clients to go back over their paperwork now, to try to catch any mistakes before the government does.

A heightened focus on Customs enforcement is nothing new for this administration, which lists trade among its top enforcement priorities. Published trade statistics for fiscal ...