Connecticut's Larson Presses Major Retailers To Pass Tariff Refunds To Customers

WASHINGTON, DC — Connecticut U.S. Rep. John B. Larson joined Rep. Steven Horsford of Nevada and 13 other Democrats in asking 10 major companies to ensure federal tariff refunds are passed on to customers.

Larson's office said the letter was sent Thursday from Washington, D.C., to the CEOs of Walmart, Home Depot, Target, Best Buy, FedEx, Amazon, Lowe’s, Costco, UPS and DHL. All have a sizable presence in Connecticut, most in the Buckland Hills retail district in Manchester.

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According to Larson's office, the effort follows a February Supreme Court ruling that found President Donald Trump's tariffs "unlawful." The release cites the Yale Budget Lab, which estimated the average household paid more than $1,700 last year because of the tariffs. It also says Customs and Border Protection launched a tariff refund site this week for importers to register for refunds, while there is no clear process to ensure an estimated $175 billion in refunds reaches small businesses and families.

Larson is an original cosponsor of the RELIEF Act, which his office said would require automatic tariff refunds to small businesses within 90 days of the Supreme Court decision. In the letter, lawmakers asked companies how they handled tariff costs during the IEEPA tariff period, whether those costs were passed on to consumers or suppliers, and what steps they expect to take to turn tariff relief into lower prices, credits or other direct consumer benefits.

"Trump’s tariffs raised costs nationwide, by the thousands for the average household – squeezing our small businesses and working families," Larson said. "Too many Americans are already struggling to make ends meet. Thankfully, the Supreme Court saw these illegal taxes for what they were and overruled them, but businesses are still waiting for the refunds they are owed. I am glad to join my Democratic colleagues to call on some of our nation’s largest companies to pass the refunds they get from the federal government to their customers. We will hold them accountable, so they do not use this opportunity to pad their bottom line and raise costs even further."

The letter also asks whether companies will publicly report how refunds are distributed, whether they will avoid using refund payments for executive compensation or stock buybacks, and how relief would reach small business suppliers or non-managerial workers if it is not passed directly to consumers.

Full text of the letter is available online through Larson's office or by clicking here.