Tariff refund portal opens

The U.S. opened a new online claims portal Monday for businesses seeking refunds on tariffs the Supreme Court said were imposed illegally. (cbp.gov) U.S. Customs and Border Protection launched the first phase of its CAPE system at 8 a.m. Eastern on April 20, 2026, through the agency’s Automated Commercial Environment portal. Importers of record and authorized customs brokers can file by uploading a CSV list of eligible entries. (content.govdelivery.com) The refunds cover duties collected under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, after the Supreme Court ruled on February 20, 2026, in *Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump* that the law does not authorize tariffs. The Court of International Trade then ordered Customs to remove those duties from qualifying entries and repay them. (skadden.com) (content.govdelivery.com) Phase 1 is narrow. Customs says it covers certain unliquidated entries and certain entries within 80 days of liquidation, with later phases planned for more complicated claims such as drawback, reconciliation, and older liquidated entries. (cbp.gov) (rsmus.com) Customs built CAPE because the refund job is unusually large. Trade lawyers at Skadden said more than 330,000 importers paid the duties across more than 53 million entries, and the court estimated the refunds at about $165 billion. (skadden.com) The portal changes who gets paid first. Only the importer of record, or a broker acting for that importer, can file the declaration, even though retailers and consumers often absorbed some of the tariff cost through higher prices. (cbp.gov) (time.com) Customs says CAPE is meant to bundle refunds and interest into one electronic payment instead of issuing them entry by entry. The agency also says filers must have an Automated Clearing House refund setup in the portal before money can be sent. (cbp.gov) (content.govdelivery.com) Importers are still weighing how much of their money can move quickly. RSM said accepted claims in the first phase could be paid in roughly 60 to 90 days, while TIME reported that only about 63% of IEEPA tariffs may fit into the initial rollout. (rsmus.com) (time.com) The portal does not settle the tariff fight. It starts the administrative work of unwinding duties already collected, while Customs continues building later phases for the rest of the claims. (cbp.gov) (rsmus.com)