Dear Customers, Colleagues, and Friends,
We are writing to provide a brief update on the status of IEEPA tariff refunds. Based on recent reporting and CBP’s update to the Court of International Trade, Customs is continuing to build the system functionality needed to process these refunds, but the process is not yet live.
NEW ACE Portal Function: Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE)
CBP has advised that it is developing a new ACE-based refund process called Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE). According to CBP, this process is being built around four main functions: a claim portal, mass processing, review/liquidation or reliquidation, and refund issuance.
CBP’s update also indicates that the Claim Portal was about 70% complete as of March 11. CBP expects the first phase of CAPE to handle most formal and informal entries where IEEPA duties were paid, although some entries — such as certain suspended entries, warehouse withdrawals, drawback-related entries, and other special situations — may require additional review or later phases of programming. Judge Eaton has indicated that CBP is making satisfactory progress, but also directed the agency to provide another update by March 19.
What This Means for You
At this time, no immediate action is required from importers. Until CBP releases formal implementation instructions—likely through a CSMS message or additional guidance—the refund process and timeline remain uncertain. That being said, this is certainly a step in the right direction for importers pursuing refunds on tariffs paid under IEEPA.
**** It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to review previous Customer Advisories ( 1/13/26 & 2/4/26) linked here to review the updated refund procedure. We strongly suggest immediately registering for an ACE Portal account, if you haven’t already, and following the ACH REFUND AUTHORIZATION procedure.
We will continue to track all detailed guidance and will notify you as further regulatory instructions are released. In the meantime, if you have any questions or would like to discuss potential impacts on your shipments or sourcing strategy, our team at Krenz & Hannan is ready to assist.
Sincerely, Your friends at Krenz and Hannan International