U.S. tariff refund portal live
- A U.S. government portal opened for businesses to claim refunds after the Supreme Court struck down most tariffs. - The refund process covers roughly $127 billion in previously collected tariffs. - The rollout makes reimbursement tangible for firms and underlines how embedded the tariff regime had become in ordinary commerce ( ).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection opened a new online claims system Monday for businesses seeking refunds on tariffs the Supreme Court threw out in February. (cbp.gov) The tool, called CAPE, went live on April 20, 2026 inside the Automated Commercial Environment, the federal portal importers already use to move goods through U.S. customs. In this first phase, importers and customs brokers can upload a spreadsheet listing entry numbers tied to refund claims. (cbp.gov, cbp.gov) CBP said each CAPE declaration can include up to 9,999 entries, and companies can file more than one declaration. Phase 1 covers certain unliquidated entries and certain entries within 80 days of liquidation, with later phases planned for more complicated cases. (cbp.gov, cbp.gov) The refunds stem from the Supreme Court’s February 20, 2026 ruling in *Learning Resources v. Trump*, which held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not let a president impose tariffs. The case covered the 2025 “reciprocal” tariffs and drug-trafficking tariffs tied to Canada, Mexico, and China. (supremecourt.gov) Hours after that ruling, the White House issued an executive order ending a wide range of tariff actions that had been imposed under the emergency-powers law. The order listed measures tied to Canada, Mexico, China, Venezuelan oil, Brazil, Russia, Cuba, Iran, and the broad April 2, 2025 reciprocal tariff program. (whitehouse.gov) CBP says CAPE is built to process refunds of those duties with interest, rather than handling them one entry at a time. That matters for importers that paid tariffs across thousands of shipments while the policy was in force. (cbp.gov, cbp.gov) To get paid, companies also need to be set up for electronic refunds through Automated Clearing House, or ACH, in the ACE portal. CBP said refunds are issued electronically, and importers can track successful payments and rejected refunds through ACE reports. (cbp.gov, cbp.gov) For companies that never opened their own ACE importer account, CBP says they must first update their importer record, including a current company email, before applying for portal access. The agency also said brokers should not use the broker’s email address in that importer record. (cbp.gov) Newsweek reported the refund pool at about $127 billion, while other recent estimates have run higher as additional claims and interest are counted. Monday’s launch did not settle that total, but it turned the court ruling into an actual filing process for importers waiting to get money back. (newsweek.com, cbp.gov)
