ATLANTA — Georgia spent the third-most of any state in the country on tariffs, according to a new study from Axios. It follows only California and Texas.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s tariffs, many metro Atlanta business owners wonder if they’ll get any money back.
Channel 2’s Michael Doudna spoke with a Buckhead business owner who says he’s not optimistic.
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Kazoo Toys has been in business for nearly two decades, and co-owner Joe Novak says he rejoiced when he heard about the court’s ruling, but does not believe he will ever be refunded the thousands he has already paid.
“I was on the manufacturing side, I’ve been on the licensing side, and now I’m on the retail side,” Novak said.
He says over the last year, he’s had to learn about tariffs because most of the toys came with an extra fee tacked on.
“We just kind of play the hand we’re dealt,” Novak said.
When the Supreme Court ruled that President Trump’s tariffs were unconstitutional, those who paid the prices became entitled to a refund.
“There’s no question, the administration is gonna have to provide these refunds. Exactly how that’s gonna work, we don’t know yet,” Emory University Finance Professor Tucker Balch said.
A recent report by Trade Partnership Worldwide found that Georgia paid $7.1 billion.
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“It’s because of our ports, so all these imported goods are coming through our ports,” Balch said.
The Associated Press reported that more than 1,000 businesses have already filed lawsuits.
But smaller businesses like Novak’s say they don’t have the resources.
“No, there’s no way we would have the wherewithal to try to file and figure out what we bought, where it came from, where the distributors were, what they paid,” Novak said.
He estimates he spent more than $100,000 on the now-unconstitutional tariffs.
“I would have no idea where to even try. I would just be happy if the tariffs didn’t exist anymore, and we could go back to standard pricing,” he said.
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