Illinois Small Businesses Demand their $6.7 Billion in Illegal Tariffs Back

Illinois Small Business Interviews Available: Illinois businesses paid over $6.7 billion in now-illegal IEEPA tariffs from February-December 2025 and are calling on Congress to ensure fast, full, automatic refunds.

Meanwhile, the administration has doubled down with new Section 122 tariffs days after the Supreme Court ruling and has taken steps to delay refunds of the illegal tariff payments.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- March 4, 2026 -- Illinois small businesses are demanding answers on two fronts: when will they see refunds for over $6.7 billion they paid in tariffs the Supreme Court ruled illegal, and why is the administration doubling down with new tariffs?

The Supreme Court's 6-3 decision on February 20 struck down IEEPA tariffs that had cost American businesses billions of dollars since they were first imposed in early 2025. The Court of International Trade issued a March 4 order directing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to remove the tariffs from affected entries, which should result in refunds through the normal customs process.

But rather than provide relief following the Supreme Court decision, the administration responded within hours by imposing new 10% tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. Administration officials have said repeatedly that Section 122 tariffs will be increased to the statutory maximum of 15% soon. It filed an unsuccessful motion to delay the CIT decision, and could pursue numerous tactics to stall refund relief, in some cases for years.

We Pay the Tariffs, a coalition of over 1,000 small businesses nationwide that advocated against new tariffs, is calling on Congress and the administration to ensure that IEEPA refunds are full, fast, and automatic, and is pushing back on the administration's decision to double down with new tariffs under a different statute rather than provide the relief Illinois businesses are owed.

"Illinois businesses paid over $6.7 billion in illegal tariffs last year, and they are owed every penny back," said Dan Anthony, Executive Director of We Pay the Tariffs."The government has records of every tariff payment. Congress and the administration must ensure that refunds are issued automatically, without requiring small businesses to hire lawyers or navigate complex claims processes.

"The administration's decision to double down within hours by imposing new tariffs underscores that tariffs are intended as a permanent tax on small businesses. For Illinois small businesses this is just a new tariff, under a different name, resulting in the same cost increases."

- $6.7 billion in IEEPA tariffs paid by Illinois businesses, February-December 2025, now subject to potential refund. View what every state in the nation paid last year in IEEPA tariffs HERE

- $11 billion in total presidential tariffs paid, March-December 2025 - Overall Illinois tariff data for all tariffs (not just IEEPA) HERE

Illinois Small Businesses Call for Refunds

Illinois small businesses have joined businesses from across the country in signing We Pay the Tariffs' letter to Congress and the Administration demanding full, fast, and automatic refunds of all unlawfully collected IEEPA tariffs. The letter makes clear that the government has records of every tariff payment and that refunds must be issued directly to importers of record without requiring individual applications.

Refund letter: wepaythetariffs.com/sign-the-refund-letter

Tariff Polling

National polling consistently shows broad, bipartisan opposition to tariff policies ahead of the 2026 midterms. A compilation of 26 polls showing voter opposition to tariffs is available HERE

New Tariffs, Same Burden

The administration's new Section 122 tariffs impose a 15% surcharge on imports from virtually every country. Section 122 is capped at 150 days and was designed to address balance-of-payments deficits, a justification that has already drawn skepticism from legal and economic experts. The administration has signaled it will use the 150-day window to launch investigations under Section 301 and other authorities to impose permanent replacement tariffs.

Small Business Interviews Available:

We Pay the Tariffs can connect media with Illinois small business owners who can speak to how IEEPA tariffs impacted their businesses, what refunds would mean for their operations and employees, and how the new Section 122 tariffs continue to burden Main Street. Our coalition includes Illinois businesses ready to share their stories. Contact press@wepaythetariffs.com to arrange interviews.

About the Data

All data come from Trade Partnership Worldwide's State Tariff Tracker ("Tracker") database. The Tracker combines national import and tariff data from the U.S. Census Bureau (Census), including details on special provisions that either lower tariffs (e.g., preference claims such as USMCA) or increase them (e.g., Chapter 99 rates for Section 301 or IEEPA tariffs), tariff schedules from the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), and state import value data from Census. Trade Partnership Worldwide data is frequently cited in national and international media including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, ABC, NBC, CBS, Axios, Politico, CNBC, CNN, BBC, and more.

About We Pay the Tariffs

We Pay the Tariffs is a grassroots coalition of over 950 small businesses that advocates against tariffs. The coalition filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court challenging the legality of IEEPA tariffs. Members include restaurants, manufacturers, retailers, game companies, importers, and other enterprises from every U.S. region. The vast majority of members are micro businesses with 10 or fewer employees. For more information: www.wepaythetariffs.com

MEDIA CONTACT: press@wepaythetariffs.com