Overview
- In a March 6 filing, CBP executive Brandon Lord said the agency cannot comply now because of the volume of entries, technical limits, and the staffing that would be diverted from other critical work.
- CBP is developing a streamlined process covering liquidated and unliquidated entries with an expected launch in about 45 days.
- The envisioned system would let importers submit ACE declarations, trigger automated validation and duty recalculation with interest, aggregate refunds by importer, and route certified payments to Treasury for electronic disbursement.
- Following the filing, the U.S. Court of International Trade suspended its immediate-refund order and set March 12, 2026 for a status update on CBP’s progress.
- CBP says refunds must be issued electronically and many importers still need to set up ACE accounts and activate ACH authorization to receive payments.