Overview
- The CAPE portal, which opened Monday at 8 a.m. ET, lets importers and customs brokers file refund claims through CBP’s ACE website for tariffs the Supreme Court found unlawful.
- CBP data show more than 330,000 importers paid about $166 billion on over 53 million shipments, yet the first wave only accepts unliquidated entries or those within roughly 80 days of final accounting.
- As of April 14, 56,497 importers had completed ACH enrollment, making about $127 billion in refunds, including interest, eligible to flow in this initial phase.
- CBP says it will issue approved refunds by ACH in about 60–90 days after a claim is accepted, and it warns that errors in CSV entry numbers or bank details can cause rejections or slowdowns that strain small firms’ cash flow.
- Refunds go to the businesses that paid the duties, not directly to consumers, though FedEx says it will return money it collected from customers and class-action cases seek broader consumer paybacks as later phases and court steps proceed.