Overview
- CBP’s CAPE system opened Monday, allowing importers and authorized brokers to file electronic refund declarations through the ACE portal for Phase 1 claims.
- Roughly 56,000 registered importers can seek about $127 billion now, while the overall pool totals about $166 billion plus interest across more than 330,000 importers and 53 million entries.
- CBP says approved refunds will be paid by ACH about 60 to 90 days after claim acceptance, and heavy traffic at launch caused some businesses to report filing glitches.
- Phase 1 covers entries that are still unliquidated or were liquidated within about 80 days, leaving many older or complex entries for later phases or manual processing.
- Refunds go to importers of record rather than consumers, though companies like FedEx and Costco have said they may pass money back and some lawsuits seek customer repayments.