Attorney General Jay Jones Calls on Congress to Pass Legislation Requiring Tariff Refunds
Action required to return thousands of stolen dollars back into the pockets of hardworking Virginians

Richmond, VA - Attorney General Jay Jones today joined a coalition of 16 other attorneys general in urging Congress to pass legislation that would fight back against aggressive federal overreach and require the government to provide swift refunds to consumers and businesses due to President Trump’s illegal tariffs. This action follows the Supreme Court’s February 20th ruling striking down tariffs the Trump administration imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

The Trump Administration’s tariffs resulted in over $166 billion dollars taken illegally from over 330,000 American businesses and individuals on over 53 million shipments. Attorney General Jones 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.

“Donald Trump continues to exercise power that does not belong to him while Virginians are expected to foot the bill – to the tune of $1,700 per family – and keep our mouths shut. No more,” said Attorney General Jones. “Virginia’s farmers, families, and businesses are carrying the heaviest burden of these illegal tariffs. The Port of Virginia continues to see slowdowns in import and export containers. Virginians shouldn’t have to pay the exorbitant price tag of Donald Trump’s trade tantrums. We urge Congress to take swift action and return to the people what is rightfully theirs.”

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 the tariffs were imposed, a coalition of 11 attorneys general sued the administration, arguing that IEEPA does not give the president the power to impose tariffs.

Virginia farmers have seen their operating costs rise as much as 25% and small businesses in Virginia paid over $1.4 billion in tariffs so far.

In a letter to House and Senate leadership, Attorney General Jones 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 apply or sue for refunds, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has a database of every illegal IEEPA tariff paid by American direct importers. The CBP has stated that refunds will only be available via a new direct deposit platform on which only six percent of importers are currently registered.

The administration has also suggested that importers may need to navigate multiple refund processes depending on their shipment’s status. A refund process controlled by the administration would likely face delays and disadvantage small businesses and individuals that do not have the resources to navigate a complicated application process or sue for refunds. Attorney General Jones and the coalition are pushing for new legislation that could create an equitable, uniform, and fast process for all affected importers to be reimbursed for their tariff costs.

In addition, Attorney General Jones and the coalition urge Congress to hold accountable the businesses that directly passed on tariff costs to consumers and other businesses. Importers that raised prices due to tariff costs should pass the benefit of the refunds they receive to those who ultimately bore the financial burden of the administration’s illegal tariffs. Congress should also consider other ways to address the economic burden that the most financially vulnerable had to bear because of the administration’s illegal policy. As the attorneys general assert, prices of cheaper products rose faster than prices of more expensive goods as a result of the tariffs, disproportionately impacting low-income consumers.

Joining Attorney General Jones in sending this letter are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, and Vermont.

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