California Leaders Call for Refunds After SCOTUS Strikes Down Trump’s Tariffs

California government officials are calling for refund checks following Friday’s Supreme Court ruling slapping down President Donald Trump’s unilateral tariffs.

The court’s 6-3 decision found that Trump’s imposition of tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) was illegal. The decision followed a year of market anxiety and global tensions over the sweeping economic changes.

Trump was quick to attack the ruling, saying on Friday that he was “absolutely ashamed” of the court’s decision, and has dismissed calls for refunds. The president said he is seeking to reimpose a global 10% tariff through other means.

“These tariffs were nothing more than an illegal cash grab that drove up prices and hurt working families, so you could wreck longstanding alliances and extort them,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement on Friday after the ruling. “Every dollar unlawfully taken must be refunded immediately — with interest. Cough up!”

The court ruling did not say whether or how businesses are entitled to refunds.

During a press conference on Friday, Attorney General Rob Bonta said that those seeking claims could attempt to go through the Court of International Trade.

“California is going to remain vigilant as the refund process moves forward to ensure that businesses harmed by these illegal tariffs receive the relief that they’re owed,” Bonta said.

A recent report from a U.S. Senate committee found that American consumers have paid tens of billions of dollars in tariff costs over the past year, averaging more than $1,700 per family. Businesses across the Bay Area and the country have struggled to shoulder the rising costs of international goods, from construction materials to toilet paper.

“We’ve got the largest port infrastructure in the nation. We are the fourth-largest economy in the world. We do trade with pretty much every major region of the world that you can think of. This is big,” Xavier Becerra, a former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, who is now running for California governor, told KQED. “Thank god we now have a ruling that at least tells us that Donald Trump can’t cause this chaos with his tariff mania.”

But officials at the Port of Oakland, one of the biggest import and export hubs on the West Coast, took a cautious view of Friday’s ruling.

“We expect this will not be the final word on trade and tariffs,” said Bryan Brandes, maritime director at the Port of Oakland. “Our trade community seeks stability and certainty, as increased volume at the Port of Oakland means increased prosperity across the region.”

Total imports at the Port of Oakland were down in some months in 2025, but overall, the terminal had a slight increase from September 2024 to September 2025.

In last month’s State of the Port address, Executive Director Kristi McKenney said maritime operations remained steady despite short-term dips.

Tariffs imposed under IEEPA were projected to cost California’s economy $25 billion and result in the loss of over 64,000 jobs, according to data from the Attorney General’s office.

The order comes after several states, including California, sued the Trump administration in April 2025 for abuse of power by issuing the tariffs without congressional approval.

Tariffs “have been creating chaos and uncertainty. They have been raising costs for Americans, everyday consumers, as well as businesses,” Bonta said. “Today is a day for affordability, something that Americans and Californians have been screaming for, for months now.”

KQED’s Scott Shafer contributed to this report.