The United States government began accepting claims from businesses owed money under tariffs the Supreme Court struck down earlier this year. The new online portal went live on 20 April.
Why it matters: The $166 billion owed to importers is the largest mass refund programme in U.S. customs history, and every day without payment costs taxpayers an additional $22 million in accrued interest.
The numbers
Customs collected roughly $166 billion from more than 330,000 importers across 53 million individual shipments between April 2025 and February 2026. The duties were levied under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a Cold War-era statute that President Trump invoked to impose sweeping tariffs on imports from dozens of countries.
The Supreme Court ruled the tariffs unconstitutional, finding that IEEPA does not grant the president authority to impose import duties. Congress ordered the refunds as part of the ruling’s enforcement.
How the system works
Customs built a new tool called CAPE inside its existing Automated Commercial Environment. Importers or their licensed customs brokers upload a single file covering up to 9,999 entries at once, rather than filing claim by claim.
Phase 1, which launched on 20 April, covers entries that have not yet been finalised or that were finalised within the past 80 days. Later phases will expand eligibility.
Who has filed so far
Over 56,000 importers enrolled before launch day, accounting for about $127 billion of the total owed. Customs estimates that valid claims will be paid within 60 to 90 days unless flagged for compliance review.
The outstanding balance continues to grow. At roughly $650 million per month in interest, the government faces mounting pressure to process claims quickly. Customs has not disclosed how many staff have been assigned to the programme.