Trump administration to launch tariff refund portal on April 20: Here's how to apply

The U.S. government has announced the launch of an online portal next week. Via the portal, businesses can request refunds directly.

The move comes after the Supreme Court declared tariffs illegal.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed Tuesday, April 14, that the online portal referred to as CAPE (Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries) will open for refund applications starting April 20.

Experts note that businesses can refund up to $175 billion. As per the Supreme Court ruling, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not grant the President authority to impose tariffs, striking down duties on imports from China, Canada, and Mexico.

However, existing tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 (targeting unfair trade practices with China) are exempted from the decision.

Eligible businesses include companies that paid IEEPA tariffs and customs, and brokers. According to CBP, authentic claims will be processed within 60 to 90 days.

How to file a tariff refund claim?

• Log in to the ACE portal and access the CAPE system
• Identify entries that are eligible for refunds.
• Via the CAPE system, submit the claims for refund requests
• Provide all necessary documents

It is expected that even with the new portal, refunds will not be processed automatically.