Trump Administration Launches Cape Portal for $160 Billion Tariff Refunds After Supreme Court Ruling

The Trump administration began processing refunds for billions of dollars in tariffs that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down in February, with the claims filing portal going live on Monday.

The refunds relate to levies charged by President Donald Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), and the US Court of International Trade in March ordered customs officials to refund the more than $160bn (£121bn) the government had collected.

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The process is tied to the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (Cape), which the portal uses to let importers seek a refund as one lump sum rather than applying item by item.

As of early April, more than 56,000 importers had completed the necessary steps to apply for refunds online when the portal opened, with their claims worth $127bn (£94bn).

A Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said Cape had been built to "efficiently process refunds," and the system will process refunds for importers as one lump sum rather than applying item by item.

Customs and Border Protection said successful applicants can expect refunds, as well as any applicable interest, to be paid in 60 to 90 days.

Trade lawyers and business leaders described the launch as a mix of readiness and uncertainty, with some reporting smooth access while others encountered delays and errors.

"As expected, today's refund portal launch is a mixed bag for small businesses," Dan Anthony, executive director at We Pay the Tariffs, said, while Aaron Powell, founder and chief executive of Bunch Bikes, said he filed for a refund of around $120,000 and got through the Cape portal just minutes after it opened.

While the portal opened for businesses, multiple reports emphasized that consumers generally cannot file claims directly because only the importer of record can request refunds through CAPE.

The BBC described how the refunds are for importers whose entries were subject to IEEPA duties, noting that "All importers of record whose entries were subject to IEEPA duties are entitled to the benefit" from the high court's ruling.

BBC

NPR’s account of home renovation customer Will Chyrsanthos showed the practical consequence: he logged in expecting relief for his own imported sink, but the portal was "not for most individual customers" because refunds go to whoever directly paid Customs as the importer of record.

CBS News similarly stated that "Only the importer of record, or IOR, can request refunds through the CAPE portal, meaning that individual consumers cannot file claims."

In the NPR story, Chyrsanthos said he would have to rely on the goodwill of companies to pass those refunds along, or on class action lawsuits to force a return.

CBS News reported that UPS, FedEx, and DHL filed with CBP and pledged to return money to customers who shouldered added tariff costs tied to IEEPA tariffs, and UPS said it would reimburse customers once it receives funds from CBP.

The CBS report also described how UPS told customers there is "no need for those customers to contact UPS" and that UPS would issue refunds after receiving funds.

In a separate local report, Portland Coffee Roasters said importers they work with will apply for refunds and hopefully pass savings on, while Oodles Kids owner Barbara Wright said she investigated and realized it was "not something that I qualify for or will benefit directly from."

Even as the refund portal began, Fortune and other coverage described how small businesses may be disadvantaged by the legal and procedural complexity of CAPE.

Fortune reported that on Monday CBP rolled out the first phase of its electronic tariff refund system, also known as CAPE, allowing importers to apply for refunds on tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court, and it said the justices ruled in February that the duties imposed under IEEPA were illegal.

Fortune also reported that of more than 330,000 U.S. importers, about 56,497 have applied for refunds, and that claims from those importers total about $127 billion.

The outlet said small businesses were hit particularly hard by the levies and cited a Federal Reserve survey in which 42% of small firms called rising costs owing to tariffs a primary financial concern.

Fortune also described a Center for American Progress report that said small businesses paid $306,000 in tariffs on average last year, and it argued that smaller firms often lack resources to navigate the legal intricacies and uncertainties.

Matthew Seligman, founder and principal of Grayhawk Law, told Fortune, "Especially given the uncertain legal environment that we’re operating in right now, I am deeply worried that small and medium-sized importers are going to end up losing their refund rights because they haven’t had access to trade counsel to help back them through it."

Dan Anthony, executive director of We Pay the Tariffs, told Fortune that owners lack personnel and bandwidth, saying, "What you end up with is small-business owners or someone who does product development, who is now expected to be a tariff expert."

Fortune further described a tight time frame for applying to CAPE, including that refunds are available for "unliquidated" entries or on entries "liquidated" in the past 80 days, and that businesses with already liquidated entries have to file immediately or risk being ineligible.

As refunds begin flowing to importers, multiple outlets described a parallel wave of consumer and business litigation, with plaintiffs arguing that companies passed tariff costs to customers and should share any refunds.

The BBC reported that individuals have begun filing class action lawsuits against companies they claim passed on the cost of Trump's tariffs, arguing that any refunds businesses are paid should be passed on to consumers, and it named federal cases filed against Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica and FedEx.

CBS News

The BBC also said a class-action lawsuit has been filed against Costco in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington, and it quoted Costco chief executive Ron Vachris saying the retailer plans to pass on any tariff refunds to customers "through lower prices and better values".

CNBC similarly reported that trade lawyers warned of bureaucratic hurdles and legal vulnerabilities, and it quoted trade attorney Matthew Seligman saying, "[Importers] are pessimistic that the government is going to make this easy. They're anticipating that the government is going to make it as difficult as possible to get their money back."

In the NPR narrative, Will Chyrsanthos said he was pessimistic about recouping costs for items where tariff charges were baked into final prices, and he described his frustration with the idea that he would have to rely on class action lawsuits or company goodwill.

The Seattle Times reported that consumers who bought video games and consoles from Nintendo of America during the Trump tariff era want the company to forfeit their gold, according to a proposed class action complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

That lawsuit, the Seattle Times said, was brought by plaintiffs Gregory Hoffert in California and Seattle resident Prashant Sharan, and it alleged Nintendo hasn’t made a plan to return money paid by customers to satisfy now-illegal duties.

The complaint quoted by the Seattle Times included the argument that "Nintendo stands to recover the same tariff payments twice — once from consumers through higher prices and again from the federal government through tariff refunds."

Even as the refund portal starts, the sources show that the broader tariff outlook remains unsettled, with officials discussing other legal pathways to restore tariff levels and with business leaders warning that future levies could erase any benefit from refunds.

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Civil Eats

The BBC quoted We Pay the Tariffs executive director Dan Anthony saying businesses are far more concerned about potential new tariffs, as proposed by the Trump administration, which he said could wipe-out any refunds received.

Civil Eats

The BBC also reported that US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer urged companies that score a refund "windfall" to give it to workers in the form of bonuses, and it quoted Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying, "I got a feeling the American people won't see it."

CNBC added that administration officials sounded pugilistic about restoring tariff levels through other legal channels besides the emergency authority, and it quoted Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying, "we will be implementing or conducting Section 301 studies, so the tariffs could be back in place at the previous level by beginning of July."

USA Today similarly described how after the Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA tariffs in February, Trump replaced them with a 10% tariff on nearly all items imported into the United States, and it said those took effect Feb 24 and will expire at the end of July.

In the Civil Eats report, Dan Anthony said additional tariffs could negate any refunds, and it described how the process has hit hiccups for small businesses, including error messages and delays with filing.

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reported that the web portal was not able to handle the amount of traffic and load trying to access it, and it quoted Ron Henderson saying, "It's been a roller coaster; obviously, it impacts costs," while trade attorney Michelle Schulz said, "Theoretically, it should take 60 to 90 days. I expect delays, though, so there will be delays."

Together, the reporting portrays a refund system that is beginning to operate while the tariff environment that created the costs is still in motion.