Attorney General James Calls on Congress to Pass Legislation Requiring Tariff Class Action Settlements 2026

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

Attorney General James Calls on Congress to Pass Legislation Requiring Tariff

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.