Tokuda, Warnock, and Sherman Call for Federal Audit of Refunds of $166 Billion in Illegal Trump Tariffs

HAWAIʻI - U.S. Representative Jill N. Tokuda (HI-02), alongside U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA), the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, and Representative Brad Sherman (CA-32), the Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee Subcommittee on Capital Markets, led a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting an audit of refunds for Trump's illegally collected tariffs.

In the letter, the lawmakers urge GAO to investigate how U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is managing the refunds and whether the financial benefits will reach the consumers who ultimately bore the costs of the tariffs.

Following the Supreme Court's decision invalidating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs and a subsequent lower-court ruling ordering repayments, roughly $100 billion of the $166 billion collected from importers had been refunded as of August 2026.

"This is without question the largest tariff refund operation in U.S. history, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection had to create new systems and processes to handle this enormous task," the lawmakers wrote. "We are concerned about the ability of the administration to completely and accurately refund all IEEPA tariffs. Additionally, we are concerned to what extent consumers, upon whom the financial burden of the tariffs fell, were able to receive any benefits from the refunds."

"Trump's illegal, reckless tariffs have made everyday Americans pay more while his corporate benefactors reap billions in rebates. Families and small businesses in Hawaiʻi, where costs are already too high, are left footing the bill," said Rep. Tokuda. "We're demanding a full audit and a clear accounting of whether refunds are reaching the people who paid the price."

"Georgians are already paying the price for the Trump administration's reckless and illegal tariff policies. Now, the administration's failure to deliver court-ordered refunds is putting additional financial strain on hardworking families and small businesses across the country," said Senator Reverend Warnock.  "The American people deserve a timely, accurate, and transparent refund process that lays bare the total economic devastation of the administration's erroneous tariff agenda on hardworking consumers. That's why I'm joining Congresswoman Tokuda in calling for a comprehensive investigation into how the U.S. Customs and Border Protection is handling these refunds."

"Trump's reckless tariffs have been an unjust tax on American families, driving up the cost of everyday life," said Rep. Sherman. "Nowhere is the damage clearer than in housing. For Los Angeles families rebuilding after the wildfires, and for families across the country, tariffs have made homes harder to build. Families paid these illegal tariffs through higher prices, and they deserve to know whether the refunds will reach them. I'm proud to join Congresswoman Tokuda and Senator Warnock in calling for a full GAO audit."

The lawmakers are asking GAO to examine the accuracy and completeness of the refunds, identify which industries and importers received payments, and determine whether those savings reached wholesalers, retailers, and consumers.

A copy of the letter may be viewed here.

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