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The Trump administration has begun refunding more than $35.5 billion in tariffs to importing businesses, the first concrete step to address tariff consequences that were struck down by the courts. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said refunds are being processed through a new online portal, CAPE, and will include interest accrued for the firms.
CBP said that as of May 11, the system had successfully verified nearly 87,000 of the 126,000 claims filed since April 20, when CAPE went live. CBP’s Executive Director for Trade Programs, Brandon Lord, said this verification outcome is expected to allow the U.S. Treasury to begin issuing checks to businesses.
CBP also stated that some refunds had already been disbursed earlier in the week than initially expected.
Court records indicate that more than 8.3 million import shipments have been reprocessed to remove tax obligations under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). However, CBP said the refunds process continues to face technical hurdles.
CBP reported that about 1,880 verified cases could not be disbursed because firms had not provided complete banking information. The agency also acknowledged that, to date, the program has processed fewer than one-third of the affected cases, while the majority remain awaiting processing due to more complex structures.
The refund effort follows a U.S. Supreme Court decision on February that ruled, by a 6-3 vote, that the Trump administration’s use of IEEPA to impose tariffs was unlawful. The ruling opened the way for businesses to reclaim taxes estimated at up to $166 billion that had been previously paid.
After a closed hearing on May 12, Judge Richard Eaton of the U.S. Court of International Trade ordered CBP to continue updating the tax refund progress by May 26.
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