The International Housewares Association (IHA) is helping its members engage with the U.S. Congress to demand refunds of unlawfully collected global tariffs through a pair of direct-outreach initiatives.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down the Trump Administration’s sweeping global tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). This week, a U.S. Court of International Trade judge ordered the U.S. government to refund, with interest, all tariffs collected under IEEPA, a process to be managed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection CBP. The CBP told the trade court Friday it hopes to start refunds in 45 days for the approximately $166 billion in IEEPA duties collected from 330,000 importers and 53 million entries.
Derek Miller, President & CEO of the IHA, issued a letter to association members today outlining the two new programs through which they can reach Congress to demand refunds.
One is an effort to get signatories for a letter to Congress demanding prompt refunds advanced by the We Pay the Tariffs Coalition of businesses and associations opposing tariffs.
The other is use of the VoterVoice engagement platform, which enables IHA members to contact their respective U.S. Senators to seek their sponsorship of a recent bill — The Tariff Refund Act of 2026 — requiring refunds, with interest, within 180 days, prioritizing small businesses.
The Tariff Relief Act of 2026 seeks to require CBP to pay refunds of all tariffs that were unlawfully imposed under IEEPA and paid by importers — even if the importation has already been finalized and closed (“liquidated”) by CBP.
The bill would also:
- Direct CBP to prioritize small businesses when paying refunds and to coordinate with the SBA to provide key information on the refund process to small businesses.
- Require CBP to report to the relevant congressional committees every 30 days on the status of refunds until CBP has completed payment of all refunds.
- Direct CBP to issue guidance on how to address duty drawback claims.
“In the wake of the Supreme Court decision invalidating the IEEPA tariffs, there is uncertainty on how refunds will be provided,” Miller said in his letter to IHA members. “IHA is exploring every avenue to ensure that refunds from the unlawfully collected tariffs are returned.”
Here is the full letter to IHA members by IHA President & CEO Derek Miller.:
Dear IHA Members,
In the wake of the Supreme Court decision invalidating the IEEPA tariffs, there is uncertainty on how refunds will be provided.
IHA is exploring every avenue to ensure that refunds from the unlawfully collected tariffs are returned. IHA Members can engage Congress to demand refunds in two ways:
First is a letter being advanced by the We Pay the Tariffs coalition. This is a broad-based coalition of associations and businesses working to oppose tariffs. They are seeking signatories for a letter to Congress demanding that refunds be promptly issued.
Details, including a link to add your company with no financial obligation, can be found on the coalition’s website.
Second, a bill has recently been introduced requiring the issuance of refunds within 180 days, with prioritization for small businesses. The Tariff Refund Act of 2026, S.3905, would:
- Require Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to pay refunds of all tariffs that were unlawfully imposed under IEEPA and paid by importers—even if the importation has already been finalized and closed (“liquidated”) by CBP. The bill would also:
- Set a deadline of 180 days after enactment for CBP to process all refunds.
- Require CBP to pay interest on the refunded amount.
- Direct CBP to prioritize small businesses when paying refunds and to coordinate with the SBA to provide key information on the refund process to small businesses.
- Require CBP to report every 30 days to relevant congressional committees on the status of refunds until CBP has completed the payment of all refunds.
- Direct CBP to issue guidance on how to address duty drawback claims.
More details may be found on the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance website.
As a broad showing of support for refunds would be helpful, we have set up a VoterVoice engagement platform to make it easy to contact your Senators to ask them to co-sponsor this bill. Simply click here, and you can contact your Senators in just a couple of minutes.
Please take a moment to register your support for this bill and make it clear that the administration must refund unlawfully collected tariffs promptly. It only takes a moment, but if we all join forces, it can make a real difference.
Sincerely,
Derek Miller
President & CEO
International Housewares Association
