IL businesses eligible for $8B in tariff refunds; Pritzker wants more
for families
[April 21, 2026]
By Sean Reed | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Two months after the U.S. Supreme Court struck
down some of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, roughly $8 billion in
collected duties, plus interest, could be returned to the Illinois
businesses that paid them.
On Monday, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol began the process of
returning roughly $151 billion in tariffs it collected from companies
over the past year. The funds represent duties collected on imports
under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, IEEPA.
Dan Anthony, Executive Director of We Pay the Tariffs, a coalition of
small businesses against the tariffs, said refunds could be relieving,
but uncertainty looms for businesses as the Trump administration still
seeks to impose new tariffs as soon as July.
“So, you know, you're a business, you were paying a bunch of costs, they
stopped, but now you've got new costs and there's the expectation of
some other new cost that will be imposed without any notice,” Anthony
said.
Of different imports into Illinois, machinery, electrical and
communications equipment were the top three most impacted, bringing in a
combined total of $1.52 billion, according to Anthony.
He noted the tariffs being refunded are only one kind, and many others
remain in place for reasons of national security and strategic
competition.
The Liberty Justice Center brought the legal challenge alongside
multiple small business owners. Sara Albrecht, chairman of the center,
said she was excited the process is beginning, but she wants to see it
through.
“Once you win at the Supreme Court, that was Feb. 20, today it's April
20 and not a dollar has been paid back,” Albrecht said. “So I think
that's the other part that's hard to understand. Like if these tariffs
were illegal, why wouldn't they just automatically pay back?”
Her organization released the Tariff Equity Refund Resource for America,
or TERRA, to guide small businesses through the refund process. She said
there are a number of steps companies must take to get their money back.
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Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks during an event in Chicago on
June 26, 2025. Photo: BlueRoomStream / Screenshot
Illinois Manufacturers Association President and CEO Mark Denzler
said he feels there is a sense of stability compared to a year ago,
when the tariffs were implemented.
“Manufacturers can compete with anyone in the world if there's a
level playing field, and certainly targeted tariffs make sense
against countries that, for example, cheat or dump product in the
United States or steal intellectual property.”
He cautioned Illinois companies to work with their attorneys,
accountants and importers of record when filing for refunds. He said
he hopes the process will be smooth and refunds will come in the
promised 60-90 day period.
There have been some minor bumps in the road just hours after the
government opened a portal for the process, according to Albrecht.
“I know today already the system has gone down twice, at least, just
because of the volume of people rushing to it. You know, it's kind
of the same thing as when you buy concert tickets and the system
crashes,” Albrecht said.
The same day the Supreme Court struck down the tariffs, Illinois
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s campaign released a letter to President Trump,
demanding tariff refunds go directly to consumers.
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