New York businesses can now begin filing for refunds tied to President Donald Trump’s tariffs that the U.S. Supreme Court found were illegally imposed, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday. He also argued that consumers who paid higher prices should not be left out of any broader relief efforts.
The refund process was launched April 20 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which said importers of record and authorized customs brokers can submit claims through the agency’s ACE trade portal under a new system known as CAPE.
In its first phase, the process is limited to certain unsettled entries and some settled within the last 80 days. Valid refunds generally must be issued within 60 to 90 days after a claim is accepted, the agency said.
Speaking in Buffalo on April 20, Hochul signaled the start of this federal process and said it could return more than $166 billion in tariff payments collected nationally. He argued that although the first round of refunds is aimed at businesses that directly paid the tariffs, New Yorkers who paid more in stores should not be excluded.
“It’s an important first step,” Hochul said. “But remember that every day New Yorkers paid the price too.”
“These tariffs were nothing more than attacks against the American people, who are asking for relief from the cost of inflation, the increase in the price of gasoline, and also had to face the effects of the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, which made everything more expensive,” he added.
Hochul stated that New Yorkers absorbed approximately $13.5 billion in additional costs due to the tariffs, which is equivalent to about $1,700 per average family, and assured that the state will continue to press in court to obtain relief for households, farmers and small businesses.
“This is not done voluntarily by the Trump administration, but they still owe New York families $1,700. They deserve their money back, and we’re going to keep fighting for it, including in court to ensure that. I just wanted to make that clear today,” Hochul said.
According to Customs guidelines, only the registered importer or an authorized customs broker can file a CAPE declaration, and the first phase does not cover all cases. It is expected that more complex situations will be addressed in later phases.
The Supreme Court ruled on February 20, by a vote of 6-3, that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 did not give the president the authority to impose the broad tariffs in question, upholding lawsuits brought by New York and 11 other states.
The ruling forced the federal government to establish a process to return tariff revenue collected under that authority.
The Washington-based tax policy-focused Tax Foundation estimated in a recent report that the tariffs represented an average tax increase of about $1,000 per U.S. household in 2025.
It is also estimated that tariffs still in effect in 2026 would add about an additional $600 per household this year.
