Advocacy News – April 21, 2026
What’s happening: Following the Supreme Court’s ruling striking down International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is rolling out an online refund portal in phases starting April 20, 2026, to return ~$166 billion in duties to 300,000+ importers across 53 million entries.
Why it matters: Interest is accruing at ~$650 million/month at a 6% rate. The faster importers act, the faster they get paid.
How it works: CBP’s new Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) tool has four steps:
- Claim Portal — upload refund requests via standardized spreadsheet
- Mass Processing — removes IEEPA tariff codes, recalculates duties
- Review and Reliquidation — updates entry summaries, calculates interest
- Refund — electronic deposit to account
Affected businesses should:
- Update their CBP importer record (Form 5106) — using your business email, not your broker’s
- Create an ACE Portal account (setup takes 3–4 weeks)
- Enroll in ACH Refund — required for electronic deposits
- Check with your broker if any entries fall into exceptions (liquidated entries, drawback claims, open protests, AD/CVD entries)
- Visit the CBP’s website for the latest
The bottom line: Businesses eligible for a refund should not wait. Enroll in ACH, get their ACE account set up, and talk to your customs broker now. Refunds are coming — but only to those who are ready.
Originally published by the US Chamber of Commerce April 17, 2026.