New York Governor Kathy Hokle has called on President Donald Trump’s administration to return $13.5 billion worth of compensation for tariffs imposed by his administration after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the tariffs invalid.
Hokul acknowledged that these fees have cost New York households an average of $1,751 more in the past year and harmed the state’s small businesses and farmers.
In a public statement released by the governor’s office, Hokul said these “ridiculous and illegal” tariffs are simply a tax on New York consumers, small businesses and farmers. “That’s why I’m demanding a full refund.”
Hochul joins other Democratic governors, including Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and California’s Gavin Newsom, who last week requested similar compensation payments, amid speculation that they are preparing to run for president in 2028.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration did not immediately respond to the request, but administration officials have previously confirmed that if the court invalidates the fees during litigation, it will take full action, including providing benefits to those affected, as economic analysis estimates that the total amount of restitution claims nationwide will exceed $175 billion.
The request comes amid heightened tensions between the Democratic governor and the Republican administration, with Democrats claiming the fees are “legally unsupported” and hurting the local economy.
Last year, President Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on a wide range of imports as part of his “America First” trade policy, aimed at protecting local industries and resolving trade disputes with China, Europe and other countries. Several lawsuits have been filed alleging that these mandates are unconstitutional or beyond the president’s authority.
The Supreme Court invalidated these requirements, saying they “narrow the circumstances” that the president could impose without Congressional approval and opened the door to a complex redress process for importers and consumers.
These fees collect more than $175 billion nationwide, according to the report, but they increase costs for families and businesses, especially in states like New York that rely on international trade.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has demanded that President Donald Trump return a total of $13.5 billion in compensation for tariffs imposed by his administration after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled those tariffs invalid.
Hochul acknowledged that these tariffs have cost New York households an average of $1,751 more over the past year and harmed the state’s small businesses and farmers.
In an official statement from the governor’s office, Hochul said these “ridiculous and illegal” tariffs are simply a tax on New York’s consumers, small businesses and farmers. “That’s why I’m demanding a full refund.”
Hochul joins other Democratic governors, including Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and California’s Gavin Newsom, who last week made similar demands for restitution, amid speculation that they are preparing to run for president in 2028.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration did not immediately respond to the request, but administration officials previously confirmed that if courts invalidate the tariffs during litigation, they would issue full refunds with interest to those affected, as economic analysis estimates that the ruling would result in more than $175 billion in total restitution claims across the United States.
The request comes amid heightened tensions between the Democratic governor and the Republican administration, with Democrats arguing that the tariffs are “unsupported by law” and are hurting the local economy.
Last year, President Trump imposed steep tariffs on a variety of imports as part of his “America First” trade policy aimed at protecting domestic industries and resolving trade disputes with China, Europe and other countries, but several lawsuits have been filed claiming those tariffs are either unconstitutional or outside the president’s authority.
The Supreme Court invalidated these tariffs, saying they “narrow the circumstances” under which the president can impose tariffs without Congressional approval and open the door to a complicated refund process for importers and consumers.
These tariffs reportedly raised more than $175 billion nationwide, but led to increased costs for households and businesses, especially in states like New York that rely on international trade.
