Special to IFN

RALEIGH – After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the federal government’s tariffs unlawful last month, N.C. Attorney General Jeff Jackson is calling on Congress to refund businesses and consumers for the increased costs. 

“North Carolina’s businesses and families paid $3.5 billion for tariffs that a court has now ruled were illegal,” Jackson said. “That money came straight out of people’s grocery bills and small business budgets. The administration told the court it would pay people back, and now they need to do it.”

Businesses and consumers nationwide have paid approximately $166 billion in unlawful International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs. Jackson is asking Congress to pass legislation requiring the Trump administration to reimburse importers for these illegal tariff charges, with interest.

The administration repeatedly committed in court filings to refunding this money if the IEEPA tariffs were ruled unlawful. Jackson and other attorneys general are also asking Congress to direct businesses that passed along tariff costs to consumers to reimburse their customers who ultimately bore the financial burden.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) keeps a record of every IEEPA tariff paid by American direct importers, but CBP is trying to place the burden on those 330,000 importers to request refunds. CBP has stated that refunds will only be available via a new direct deposit platform that only 6 percent of importers are currently registered for. The administration has also suggested that importers may need to navigate multiple refund processes depending on their shipment’s status.

Jackson and the coalition are pushing for new legislation to create a fair, uniform, and fast process for all affected importers to get refunds.

Joining Attorney General Jackson in sending this letter are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Virginia.