After months of waiting, American importers are finally getting their chance to recover billions of dollars in tariffs that were struck down by the Supreme Court.
Starting Monday, importers who paid the now-invalid tariffs can begin applying for refunds through a new online portal created by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The total amount owed to businesses is a massive $166 billion, plus interest.
The Supreme Court’s decision two months ago overturned President Donald Trump’s broadest tariffs, which had been imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Now, the government must return the money it collected from those tariffs.
How the Refund Process Will Work
The new system is called the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries, or CAPE. Instead of handling refunds one shipment at a time, CAPE is designed to process large numbers of refunds more efficiently.
According to CBP, once an application is approved, most refunds should be issued within 60 to 90 days. However, some cases may take longer if officials decide to conduct additional reviews of the import records.
Only specific parties can apply for these refunds. These include “importers of record” — the companies that were officially listed as responsible for the imports and who actually paid the tariffs. Authorized customs brokers acting on behalf of these importers may also file claims.
Phased Rollout
The refund process will not open for everyone at once. In the first phase launching Monday, only certain types of tariff payments will be eligible for refund claims. It is still unclear exactly when the portal will accept applications for all the payments that qualify for reimbursement.
This phased approach is meant to help the system run smoothly, given the enormous volume of claims expected.
Uncertainty Remains
Even as the process begins, some uncertainty hangs over the refunds. White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett recently suggested that the Trump administration may look for other legal ways to reduce the total amount of money that gets refunded.
In a Fox News interview, Hassett said there are “alternative authorities” that could be used to lower the size of the refunds “quite a bit.”
This comment has raised concerns among importers that the refund process could face further delays or reductions, even after the Supreme Court’s ruling.
For now, though, the launch of the CAPE portal marks an important first step toward returning the $166 billion-plus in tariffs to American businesses. Importers across the country will be watching closely to see how quickly and fully the government follows through on these refunds.
