CBP sets tariff‑refund start date

U.S. Customs and Border Protection will open the first phase of its International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariff-refund process on April 20, 2026, through a new online filing tool. (cbp.gov) The agency said Phase 1 will run through the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries tool, or CAPE, inside the Automated Commercial Environment secure portal that importers already use for customs filings. Phase 1 covers certain unliquidated entries and certain entries within 80 days of liquidation. (cbp.gov) Importers of record and authorized customs brokers must file a CAPE Declaration by uploading a comma-separated values file in the portal. The filing does not go through the Automated Broker Interface, and each declaration can include as many as 9,999 entries. (cbp.gov) The refund system is tied to duties collected under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the law presidents use for emergency economic measures. Customs said CAPE is being built to process valid refund claims authorized by court order or other law, and to combine refunds with interest instead of handling them one entry at a time. (cbp.gov) That makes April 20 an operations deadline as much as a legal one. Companies that expect money back need an Automated Commercial Environment portal account, and Customs is steering them to set up Automated Clearing House refund enrollment before any payment is issued. (cbp.gov) Customs now issues refunds electronically through Automated Clearing House, subject to limited exceptions, under an interim final rule published January 2, 2026. The agency said firms that already receive Customs refunds by Automated Clearing House do not need a new authorization, but should review their bank details in the portal. (cbp.gov) The Automated Commercial Environment is Customs’ main digital system for imports and exports, and the secure portal is its web front end for trade users. Customs said the portal gives importers, brokers and government agencies one access point for filing data and viewing account information. (cbp.gov) The agency said later phases will add support for more complicated refund scenarios beyond the first pool of eligible entries. For now, the practical question for importers is narrower: whether their entries fit the Phase 1 rules and whether their portal and bank setup are ready by April 20. (cbp.gov)