Tariff refunds delayed

Customs and Border Protection says it will open the first federal tariff-refund portal on April 20, but the first wave covers only a slice of importers. (cbp.gov) The agency’s new system, called Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries, or CAPE, will let importers and customs brokers upload refund claims through the Automated Commercial Environment portal starting April 20, 2026. Phase 1 covers most entries that are still unliquidated or no more than 80 days past liquidation, and each filing can list up to 9,999 entries. (cbp.gov) Customs and Border Protection says valid claims will be reviewed, then the agency will liquidate or reliquidate entries, recalculate duties without the emergency tariff codes, and issue refunds with interest in consolidated batches. The agency also says refunds are paid electronically through Automated Clearing House, so companies need an Automated Commercial Environment account and bank information on file before money can go out. (cbp.gov 1) (cbp.gov 2) The gap is that Phase 1 leaves out many older entries, including claims tied to imports liquidated more than 80 days ago unless another legal path keeps them open. Politico reported on April 13 that many companies are excluded from the first batch and that actual payments are expected to arrive well after processing begins. (cbp.gov) (politico.com) The refund fight grew out of President Donald Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a 1977 law, to impose broad tariffs. On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the law does not authorize those tariffs. (politico.com) (supreme.justia.com) The justices struck down the tariffs but did not set a refund formula, leaving lower courts and Customs and Border Protection to work out how importers get repaid. Politico reported in February that more than $130 billion in duties was at stake and that the Court of International Trade would likely have to sort through the repayment process. (politico.com) That uncertainty has already pushed companies toward court. Politico reported on March 3 that more than 2,000 refund-related cases were pending at the Court of International Trade as businesses tried to preserve claims before deadlines ran out. (politico.com) The legal backdrop is also narrower than many importers expected. A Court of International Trade order in a related case said the Federal Circuit had affirmed that the emergency-tariff orders were unlawful, but vacated the earlier universal injunction, leaving relief to be fought over in more targeted proceedings. (cit.uscourts.gov) For companies that can use CAPE on April 20, the next step is paperwork, not a check. For companies outside Phase 1, the refund battle is still moving through agency filings and court dockets at the same time. (cbp.gov) (politico.com)