Overview
- CBP’s CAPE portal, which opened Monday, drew more than 55,000 parties filing claims covering over 4 million imports, with phase one limited to recent and unliquidated entries.
- Officials say accepted claims will generally pay in 60 to 90 days, though attorneys and importers report portal slowdowns and warn some payouts will take longer as older entries move later.
- Only the importer of record or an authorized customs broker can file, so consumers cannot apply, but FedEx, UPS and DHL say they will refund customers if and when CBP returns the duties to them.
- President Trump praised companies that decline refunds and said he would “remember” them, while a group of House Democrats urged major retailers and shippers to pass refunds to customers and to avoid buybacks or executive bonuses.
- Trade lawyers and analysts expect a wave of disputes over who is entitled to keep refunds, citing contracts, surcharge language and pass-through pricing, with several consumer and business lawsuits already filed.