Washington DC, Feb. 20 -- US Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in a dissenting opinion as the apex court struck down most of US President Donald Trump's tariff measures, said that the immediate consequences of the ruling could be substantial, including potential multi-billion-dollar refunds.

"In the meantime, however, the interim effects of the Court's decision could be substantial. The United States may be required to refund billions of dollars to importers who paid the IEEPA tariffs, even though some importers may have already passed on costs to consumers or others," Justice Kavanaugh noted in his dissent.

The majority ruling held that the US President lacked authority under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (I...