Tariff refund system set

The federal government plans to open a tariff refund portal on April 20 for importers seeking money back on now-invalid International Emergency Economic Powers Act duties. (cbp.gov) U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the first phase will run through a new Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries tool, or CAPE, inside the Automated Commercial Environment Secure Data Portal. The agency said the tool will provide an electronic path to submit valid refund claims. (cbp.gov) Customs said the portal covers duties imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a 1977 law that lets presidents block transactions and freeze assets during national emergencies. The Supreme Court ruled on February 20, 2026, that the law does not authorize the president to impose tariffs. (supremecourt.gov) That ruling wiped out the legal basis for the broad tariff program imposed in 2025 on imports from China, Canada, Mexico and many other countries. The White House issued an order in February ending certain tariff actions after the court’s decision. (supremecourt.gov; whitehouse.gov) The refund fight then shifted to the Court of International Trade, which ordered Customs to return most of the money with interest but paused immediate mass refunds after the agency said it faced logistical constraints. Baker Botts said Customs told the court it needed an automated process and expected that system to be ready in mid-to-late April. (bakerbotts.com) The sums are large. Trade lawyers at Davis Wright Tremaine said Customs collected about $166 billion in these duties from more than 330,000 importers, and the Wharton Budget Model said refund claims are now possible because the tariffs were collected illegally. (dwt.com; budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu) Customs said importers should prepare now by confirming they have an Automated Commercial Environment account, current banking information for Automated Clearing House refunds, and entry data needed to support declarations. The agency said refunds will be issued electronically in most cases. (cbp.gov; cbp.gov) The first phase is not the whole process. Customs said CAPE will be rolled out in phases, and Baker Botts said the April 20 launch is only the opening step in a broader refund program tied to court orders and statutory limits. (cbp.gov; bakerbotts.com) For importers, the next date is April 20, when the government says the claims system goes live and the paper fight over unlawful tariffs becomes a portal workflow. (cbp.gov)