The administration of Donald Trump has officially launched a new digital refund platform aimed at returning up to $166 billion in import tariffs that were ruled unlawful earlier this year by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The decision follows a February ruling in which the Court determined that tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act did not grant presidential authority to levy such duties. As a result, a massive refund process has now been initiated for affected importers.
According to court filings, more than 330,000 importers paid the now-invalidated tariffs across over 53 million shipments of imported goods. To streamline the refund process, the government has introduced the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) system, a centralized digital platform designed to facilitate claims.
In its initial rollout, CAPE will handle approximately $127 billion of the total refund amount. This phase focuses on recent or unliquidated entries that can be processed automatically, allowing for faster disbursement. Payments for these straightforward claims are expected to be issued in phases within 60 to 90 days.
Under the new system, once a CAPE Declaration is submitted and accepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), it cannot be modified. Any additional eligible entries discovered after submission must be filed through a new declaration.
It is important to note that only U.S. importers and companies that directly paid the duties are eligible to claim refunds. Consumers are not entitled to receive any portion of these reimbursements.
The launch of CAPE marks a significant step in addressing one of the largest tariff refund processes in U.S. history, with authorities aiming to ensure transparency and efficiency throughout the repayment cycle.
By: Mohiuddin Rubel, Former Director, BGMEA
