Trump Tariff Refund Portal Launches: What US Businesses Should Know U.S. businesses that paid tariffs deemed illegal by the Supreme Court can now apply for refunds through a new online portal, which officially launched on Monday. The initiative marks the first phase of the Trump administration’s efforts to comply with court orders to reimburse billions of dollars in tariffs and interest to importers. The portal, part of the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) system, aims to streamline the refund process for duties imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The Supreme Court’s February ruling declared many of the Trump-era tariffs unlawful, prompting the administration to initiate the reimbursement process. While the Court did not specify how refunds should be handled, the Court of International Trade ordered the government to begin reimbursements. The new CAPE portal, managed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), requires importers to submit a "CAPE declaration" to claim refunds. Importers of Record and authorized customs brokers must create accounts on the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) system and provide bank account details to process claims. Refunds are expected to be issued within 60-90 days of application, though delays may occur if there are inaccuracies or compliance concerns. However, not all importers will be immediately eligible. Phase 1 of the system is limited to certain unliquidated entries and those within 80 days of liquidation. As of April 9, only about 56,500 of the 330,000 importers who paid estimated duties of $166 billion as of March 4 had completed enrollment for electronic payments, a prerequisite for receiving refunds.#supreme_court #trump_administration #costco #us_customs_and_border_protection #cape_portal
