Attorney General James Calls on Congress to Pass Legislation Requiring Tariff Refunds

Skip to main content Office of the New York State Attorney General Letitia James New York State Attorney General Search Sort by RelevanceDate Order AscDesc How can we help you? I Want To... Appeal a background check Apply for a Job/Internship Do Business with the OAG File a Complaint Find Legal Services Know My Rights Make a FOIL Request Register/Submit a Filing Report a Data Breach Request a Publication Serve Papers on OAG Use the student ePayment portal Use the Whistleblower Portal Search Sort by RelevanceDate Order AscDesc Main navigation About About the Office Employment Opportunities Meet Letitia James Year in Review Resources Individuals Car & Auto Charities & Nonprofits Civil Rights Consumer Issues Credit, Debt, & Lending Education & Students Environmental Issues Health Care & Insurance Immigrants' Rights Investing & Finance Policing Issues Tenants & Homeowners Voting Rights Workers' Rights Government & Organizations Business Guidance Charities, Nonprofits & Fundraisers Contract & Procurement Opportunities Data Breach Reporting Franchise Regulation Investments, Registration & Regulation Law Enforcement Guidance New York Voting Rights Act Outreach Presentations Real Estate Regulation Social Media Terms of Service Reporting Libraries & Documents Advocacy and Enforcement Actions Charities Registry Search Charities Transaction Search Guidance Offering Plan Database Opinions Publications Real Estate Policy Memoranda Search Regulatory Documents Reports News & Media Press Releases Livestream Event Archive Contact Us How can we help you? I Want To... Appeal a background check Apply for a Job/Internship Do Business with the OAG File a Complaint Find Legal Services Know My Rights Make a FOIL Request Register/Submit a Filing Report a Data Breach Request a Publication Serve Papers on OAG Use the student ePayment portal Use the Whistleblower Portal Home Press Releases Attorney General James Calls On Congress To Pass Legislation Requiring Tariff Refunds Attorney General James Calls on Congress to Pass Legislation Requiring Tariff Refunds March 18, 2026 NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today co-led a coalition of 17 other attorneys general in urging Congress to pass legislation that would require the government to provide swift refunds for extra costs paid by businesses and consumers due to President Trump’s illegal tariffs. On February 20, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Attorney General James and a coalition of 11 other states and struck down tariffs the Trump administration imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Businesses and individuals nationwide have been charged approximately $166 billion in unlawful IEEPA tariffs, which resulted in higher prices that disproportionately strained low-income consumers’ finances. Attorney General James and the coalition are calling on Congress to pass new legislation that would require the Trump administration to reimburse importers for these illegal tariff charges with interest and encourage businesses that passed along direct tariff costs to consumers to reimburse their customers who ultimately bore the financial burden.“New Yorkers were charged illegal taxes for months because of this administration’s tariff policy. Now they deserve a refund,” said Attorney General James. “These tariffs hurt businesses across our state and raised the cost of groceries, clothes, and other essentials. If this administration won’t do the right thing and give New Yorkers their money back, Congress must step in to get justice for consumers and businesses.”In April 2025, President Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on countries across the globe by claiming he had the authority to do so under IEEPA. Shortly after, Attorney General James and a coalition of 11 other attorneys general sued the administration, arguing that IEEPA does not give the president the power to impose tariffs. On February 20, 2026, Attorney General James and the coalition won their lawsuit at the Supreme Court, which struck down the IEEPA tariffs. While the Supreme Court did not make a decision regarding tariff reimbursements, the administration had repeatedly committed in court filings that they would need to refund tariff costs with interest if the IEEPA tariffs were ruled unlawful.The tariffs imposed significant costs on New York businesses and consumers throughout the state who have been charged an estimated $13.5 billion as a result of the president’s tariffs. In January 2026 alone, New York consumers paid over a billion dollars in tariff-driven price increases.In a letter to House and Senate leadership, Attorney General James and the coalition are urging Congress to pass legislation requiring the administration to issue automatic tariff refunds as soon as possible. While the administration has indicated that importers would need to a