Dean Terence Lau L’98 spoke with the New York Times for an article on the complexities of refunding tariffs after the recent Supreme Court decision.
The administration initially tried to delay the legal proceedings around refunds. In a late-night court filing at the end of last month, the government proposed to halt the fight for about four months, but a panel of judges quickly rejected that request.
Lau said the actions reflected an effort by President Trump to introduce “administrative friction” around the $166 billion in tariff collections.
While Lau acknowledged that the refund process was so complex that it necessarily would take some time, he said the government’s court filings also showed “they are trying to narrow who gets refunds, and they’re stretching the timeline.”
Lau began his career in the Office of the General Counsel at Ford Motor Company in the International Trade and Transactions practice group. His practice focused on U.S. law for foreign affiliates and subsidiaries, among other topics. Later he served as Ford’s director for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Government Affairs.