Tariff refund portal

A federal claims portal opened Monday for companies seeking refunds on Trump-era tariffs that the Supreme Court said were unlawful. (cbp.gov, cnbc.com) U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the first phase of its CAPE system went live on April 20, 2026, inside the Automated Commercial Environment, or ACE, portal. Importers and customs brokers can file by uploading a CSV spreadsheet listing the entry numbers tied to refund claims. (cbp.gov, cbp.gov) The refunds stem from the Supreme Court’s February 20, 2026 decision in *Learning Resources v. Trump*, which held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act did not authorize the tariffs at issue. That ruling knocked out tariffs imposed under emergency powers rather than Congress’s usual trade statutes. (supremecourt.gov, thomsonreuters.com) CBP says Phase 1 covers certain unliquidated entries and certain entries within 80 days of liquidation, not every possible claim at once. The agency said CAPE is being rolled out in stages so it can add more complex cases later. (cbp.gov, cbp.gov) The money at stake is huge. News outlets and trade lawyers have put the likely refund pool in the $127 billion to $166 billion range, depending on which entries and court orders are counted. (cbsnews.com, time.com, skadden.com) For import-heavy companies, refunds could reverse years of duty payments that were tied up on shipments, inventories, and borrowing lines. CBP said validated refunds will be consolidated into electronic payments, with interest when applicable, instead of being processed one entry at a time. (cbp.gov, cbp.gov) The process is not automatic. Companies still have to identify eligible entries, submit declarations through ACE, and make sure their banking setup can receive Automated Clearing House refunds from CBP. (cbp.gov, cbp.gov) Trade lawyers have warned that filing errors, missing entry data, and the phased rollout could slow some payouts. CBP also said only validated claims will be paid, leaving firms to sort through records before money moves. (rsmus.com, cbp.gov) The portal’s debut closes one chapter of the tariff fight and opens another inside customs systems, court orders, and company ledgers. For importers, April 20 is the day the legal win turned into a filing deadline and, potentially, a cash claim. (cbp.gov, usatoday.com)