Tariff refunds begin

The U.S. government began processing refunds on Monday for Trump-era tariffs the Supreme Court struck down in February. (cbp.gov) U.S. Customs and Border Protection launched the first phase of a new claims system, called Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries, or CAPE, on April 20, 2026, through its Automated Commercial Environment portal. The agency said the tool is for duties collected under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the 1977 law at the center of the case. (cbp.gov) The Supreme Court ruled on February 20, 2026, in *Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump* and *Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, Inc.* that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize a president to impose tariffs. The opinion covered the “reciprocal” tariffs and the drug-trafficking tariffs the administration had imposed on imports from many trading partners. (supremecourt.gov) About $166 billion in repayments are at stake for importers, according to court filings and news reports on the rollout. Reuters reported on April 14 that Customs had finished the initial phase of CAPE ahead of the April 20 launch date. (reuters.com) The refunds are not automatic. Customs said importers must submit declarations through CAPE, and the agency will issue payment only after it validates each claim under court orders and other legal authority. (cbp.gov) Customs built CAPE to bundle many tariff entries into one refund request and one payment instead of handling millions of entries one by one. The agency said the system will support batch processing, while electronic refunds now generally move through Automated Clearing House payments rather than paper checks. (cbp.gov; (federalregister.gov) The scale is unusually large. Customs said the new process is meant to handle valid refund requests tied to court-ordered repayment of International Emergency Economic Powers Act duties, and news reports said businesses and lenders were watching the timing because many companies had carried the tariffs as a major cash cost. (cbp.gov); (nytimes.com) Some importers were ready before launch. CNBC reported that, as of April 14, 56,497 importers had completed registration steps for refunds totaling $127 billion, including interest, though that figure reflected businesses prepared to file rather than money already paid out. (cnbc.com) Customs has cautioned that the April 20 rollout is only the first phase of the system. That leaves importers, customs brokers and lenders waiting to see how quickly validated claims turn into cash after the portal’s opening-day start. (cbp.gov); (nytimes.com)