(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.
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.
Cut the check, @realDonaldTrump. pic.twitter.com/NjVJ0tABme— JB Pritzker (@JBPritzker) February 20, 2026
Albrecht said Pritzker’s proposal was not the right solution, as responses to the tariffs varied business to business, and it would be unfair to those that took a hit to not receive their refund.
“Some businesses absorbed all the costs either themselves or somewhere along their supply chain. Other businesses were forced to pass on some or all of the tariffs. So really that's not fair to give money back to consumers when the businesses took the risk,” Albrecht said.
A spokesperson with the JB for Governor campaign told The Center Square he is glad to see the relief, but it doesn’t change the impacts already felt.
“This is too little, too late,” the spokesperson said. “Governor Pritzker is glad to see that Illinois businesses can get the relief they deserve, but the Trump administration still owes every family in Illinois $1,700."
Anthony said Pritzker is missing the larger issue with his cost estimate, even if the comments make for good political fodder.
“It's really not practical to do it like that, but I think it misses the bigger point here that there are a lot of costs that can't be recouped by the businesses,” Anthony said.
