We want to share an important update from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regarding a new process that may create refund opportunities for importers who have paid duties under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
CBP is introducing a new system within the ACE Portal called CAPE (Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries), which is designed to streamline how these duty refunds are requested and processed. This update follows recent court rulings directing CBP to remove IEEPA-related duties from certain entries and issue refunds where applicable.
What you should know:
- Centralized refund process: Eligible refunds will be grouped together and issued as consolidated payments rather than processed individually by entry
- Electronic submission required: Refund requests must be submitted through the ACE Portal using a CAPE declaration
- Automated duty review: CBP will remove applicable IEEPA tariffs and recalculate duties to determine refund amounts
- Expected timing: Refunds are generally anticipated within 60–90 days after a claim is accepted, depending on CBP review
- Electronic payment: Refunds will be issued via ACH, so ensuring your banking details in ACE are current is important
Additional considerations:
- The initial rollout applies to certain unliquidated entries and those within a limited timeframe after liquidation
- Certain entry types or conditions (e.g., protests, drawback, or other restrictions) may impact eligibility
- Importers or their authorized brokers must initiate the process through ACE
We are currently reviewing how this process applies across our customer base and will be following up with additional information, including how we can assist with filings.
In the meantime, if you believe you may have entries impacted by IEEPA duties, we recommend reviewing your records and confirming your ACE Portal access and ACH enrollment are up to date.
Please reach out to our team with any questions—we’re here to help you navigate this process.
