CBP sets tariff‑refund date

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it will open the first phase of its tariff-refund system on April 20, 2026, for some importers seeking money back on duties collected under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. (cbp.gov) The agency said the new tool, called Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries, or CAPE, will run inside the Automated Commercial Environment portal that importers and customs brokers already use. Phase 1 covers certain unliquidated entries and certain entries within 80 days of liquidation. (cbp.gov) Customs and Border Protection posted the update on April 10, 2026, and said later phases will add more complex refund scenarios. Trade lawyers at Thompson Hine said the notice was issued through Cargo Systems Messaging Service bulletin No. 68315804. (cbp.gov) (thompsonhinesmartrade.com) The refunds stem from duties paid under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a 1977 law that gives presidents emergency economic authorities. In this case, Customs and Border Protection is building an administrative process to return duties after court action against the tariff program. (cbp.gov) (budgetlab.yale.edu) While the refund system is aimed at importers, consumer prices had already moved higher during the tariff period. The Budget Lab at Yale said imported personal consumption expenditure core goods prices and durable goods prices each rose 1.5 percent during 2025 through January 2026. (budgetlab.yale.edu) That same Budget Lab analysis estimated tariff pass-through to imported consumer goods prices at roughly 46 percent to 86 percent for core goods and 51 percent to 115 percent for durable goods, depending on method. Truthout, citing that work, reported that tariffs drove an estimated 86 percent of price increases for imported household goods through January. (budgetlab.yale.edu) (truthout.org) The Budget Lab also estimated that the 2025 tariffs raised $214.7 billion in inflation-adjusted customs revenue above the 2022-2024 average as of February 2026. It said about $165 billion in unlawfully collected duties may now be refunded to importers after the Supreme Court decision on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariffs. (budgetlab.yale.edu) Some Democrats have argued that households should also receive relief because shoppers paid higher prices while companies paid the duties and will receive the refunds. Truthout reported that lawmakers raised that demand after the Supreme Court struck down the tariffs last month. (truthout.org 1) (truthout.org 2) For now, the next concrete date is April 20, when Customs and Border Protection starts the first, narrower refund window in CAPE. The larger question is how quickly later phases reach the broader pool of entries tied to the tariff case. (cbp.gov)