ACE tariff‑refund portal opens
- The U.S. opened a refund process allowing companies to file claims for some tariffs through the ACE portal starting Monday. - The portal launch follows the Supreme Court’s decision that struck down most Trump‑era tariffs and creates an administrative refund workflow. - Firms now face documentation, working‑capital timing, and cross‑functional refund processes that will affect sourcing and finance operations (npr.org).
Starting Monday, U.S. importers can use Customs’ ACE portal to ask for refunds on tariffs the Supreme Court threw out in February. (cbp.gov, scotusblog.com) The new tool is called Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries, or CAPE, and it goes live on April 20, 2026 inside the Automated Commercial Environment, the government’s trade portal. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Phase 1 covers certain unliquidated entries and certain entries within 80 days of liquidation. (cbp.gov) Importers of record and authorized customs brokers must file through the ACE portal by uploading a comma-separated values file listing the entries they want refunded. Customs said each CAPE declaration can include up to 9,999 entries, and filers can submit more than one declaration. (cbp.gov) The Supreme Court’s Feb. 20, 2026 ruling struck down Trump tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a 1977 law used for foreign-threat emergencies. In a 6-3 decision, the justices said that law lets a president regulate commerce, but not impose tariffs. (scotusblog.com, cfr.org) The decision hit two big tariff programs: the “trafficking” tariffs on goods from China, Canada and Mexico, and the “reciprocal” tariffs that started at 10% on imports from nearly every country. The court did not decide how refunds should be paid, leaving Customs and the trade courts to build the process afterward. (scotusblog.com) Customs says CAPE is meant to refund duties with interest in batches instead of forcing companies to reopen entries one by one. The agency said approved claims will generally be paid electronically within 60 to 90 days after a declaration is accepted, unless compliance concerns trigger more review. (cbp.gov) The money at stake is large. CBS News reported the government could owe businesses up to $175 billion, and Customs said Phase 1 of the system initially covers up to 82% of International Emergency Economic Powers Act duty payments, or about $127 billion. (cbsnews.com, retaildive.com) The refund right belongs to the importer that paid the tariff, not to shoppers who later paid higher prices at the register. CBS reported that consumers are not eligible to file claims through the system, even if companies passed tariff costs through to them. (cbsnews.com) Trade lawyers say the portal still leaves companies with paperwork, timing and cash-flow problems. CBS reported more than 56,000 U.S. importers had registered for refunds as of April 9, and attorney Lizbeth Levinson said Customs is “putting the burden on the importer.” (cbsnews.com) The opening of CAPE turns the tariff fight from a courtroom battle into an accounting and compliance project. For importers, the next deadline is not another Supreme Court argument but a clean ACE login, bank details for Automated Clearing House refunds, and a file that matches their entries. (cbp.gov, npr.org)
