Trump Administration Launches CAPE Portal To Refund $166 Billion In IEEPA Tariffs

The Trump administration began accepting claims for tariff refunds on Monday through a new U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) system designed to unwind duties imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) after a February Supreme Court ruling.

Fox Business said the first phase of the new claims system would launch at “8 p.m. ET on April 20,” with businesses able to file for repayment of tariffs collected under IEEPA.

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Fox News described the system as “known as CAPE,” saying it would allow CBP “to issue consolidated electronic payments to importers” rather than handling refunds “entry-by-entry.”

The Hill reported that the refund system was scheduled to launch on Monday and that it would allow businesses to submit claims for reimbursements after paying “$166 billion” on duties deemed illegal by the Supreme Court.

CNN likewise said importers “can begin applying for reimbursement Monday through a new US Customs and Border Protection portal,” and it identified the program as the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE).

CBP said in a prior notice that CAPE “is designed to consolidate refunds of IEEPA duties including interest rather than processing refunds on an entry-by-entry basis,” according to CNN.

Across the coverage, CBP’s timeline for payouts was consistent: Fox Business said “valid refunds will generally be issued within 60 to 90 days after a claim is accepted,” while Fox News said “Customs is estimating that refunds will be processed within 60 to 90 days after submission.”

The refund effort is being built around the sheer volume of affected trade entries and the limited eligibility for the initial rollout.

Fox Business said court filings show “more than 330,000 importers paid duties on over 53 million shipments, totaling roughly $166 billion,” and it described CBP’s claims system as allowing importers to seek repayment of tariffs collected under IEEPA.

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Fox Business also said the process would begin in phases, with the initial stage “limited to certain unliquidated entries and those within 80 days of final accounting.”

The Guardian similarly said the administration launched CAPE on Monday and that it “could handle about 63% of affected import filings, with the remainder to follow,” while also noting that the first phase would only fully process refunds for entries that were either unliquidated or liquidated within the past 80 days.

CNN said the first phase would only allow submissions for “certain tariff payments,” and it added that “not all tariff payments will be eligible to apply for reimbursement on Monday, which marks the start of multiple phases for the rollout of the program.”

The Hill reported that as of April 14, “56,497 importers have already filed for reimbursements,” citing The Associated Press.

CNN emphasized that only parties “known formally as importers of record who made tariff payments or authorized customs brokers who act on their behalf can file for tariff refunds.”

Fox Business described how the CAPE process would work once a claim is validated, saying CBP would “recalculate the duties without the IEEPA tariffs and reliquidate the entries, triggering repayment.”

In addition to eligibility constraints, Fox Business said CBP warned the process could be complicated because “existing systems were not designed to handle so many claims and may require significant manual processing,” and it described CBP’s filings calling the volume “unprecedented.”

The refund portal is tied directly to the Supreme Court’s February decision striking down the legal basis for the IEEPA tariffs.

Fox Business said the Supreme Court ruled in February that “the law President Donald Trump relied on for his signature policy did not authorize the imposition of tariffs,” finding that “Congress – not the president – holds authority over such taxes.”

Fox Business added that “The decision set the stage for lower courts to order the government to reverse course and return the funds,” and it described a U.S. Court of International Trade judge directing CBP “to remove the tariffs from affected entries and refund any excess duties collected, along with interest.”

The Guardian provided more detail on the Supreme Court’s reasoning and membership, saying Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion and that “the 1977 emergency statute Trump had invoked provided no such sweeping authority to implement the tariffs.”

The Guardian also named the justices who joined the majority and those who dissented, stating that “Two of the president’s own appointees, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, joined the majority,” while “Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh were the dissenters.”

Fox News framed the February Supreme Court decision as “struck down the tariffs,” and it said the ruling set the stage for “what could become one of the largest repayment efforts in U.S. history.”

Time Magazine described the same constitutional finding in plain terms, saying the February Supreme Court ruling found the policy “unconstitutional.”

CNN reiterated that the refunds are happening “Exactly two months after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s most sweeping tariffs,” and it tied the portal to the IEEPA tariffs “including interest.”

The launch of the refund system prompted immediate reactions from business leaders, legal professionals, and government figures, with emphasis on timing, process, and ongoing tariff uncertainty.

Fox News quoted Reed Smith partner Michael Lowell saying, “It’s essentially a fast track for processing refunds,” and he added that “Customs is estimating that refunds will be processed within 60 to 90 days after submission.”

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Fox News also included Lowell’s view that “Tariffs are not going anywhere. That’s clear. It’s a central component of the administration’s economic and trade policy,” and he said the administration had “tools available to it that it is actively using to impose tariffs on certain imports from certain countries.”

The Hill quoted Brad Jackson, co-founder of After Action Cigars in Rochester, Minnesota, saying, “My main concern is the turnaround time,” and he warned that “A refund process that takes several months to complete doesn’t solve the cash flow problem.”

The Hill also reported FedEx’s statement that it was “committed to working expeditiously to issue refunds for IEEPA [International Emergency Economic Powers Act] tariffs paid to its customers for whom it served as customs broker as soon as it begins receiving refunds from CBP.”

CNN quoted White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, saying “There’s alternative authorities that perhaps could reduce that number quite a bit,” referring to the size of refunds distributed.

Time Magazine included small business voices, quoting Aaron Powell, CEO of Bunch Bikes, who said, “As soon as that news came out, I was very on the ball with updates and knowing exactly what I needed to do, so I was ready to go today, as soon as the portal opened up for applications.”

Time also quoted Sarah Wells, CEO of Sarah Wells Bags, saying, “This is still chaos,” and she added, “I’ll believe it when I see it—when the money's back in my bank account.”

In the same Time account, Wells described the broader impact of tariffs and said, “I’m probably going to end up having to turn around and pay that refund right back out to their new tariffs.”

The reporting frames the refund rollout as both a near-term cash-flow event and a process with limitations that could delay benefits for some businesses and consumers.

Fox Business said CBP would “generally” issue valid refunds within “60 to 90 days after a claim is accepted,” but it also warned that the process could be complicated given the scale and that “existing systems were not designed to handle so many claims.”

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The Guardian said the administration launched CAPE and that it “could handle about 63% of affected import filings,” and it added that businesses whose goods were tied up in “legal disputes, anti-dumping investigations, or other unresolved customs processes will not be able to claim yet.”

CNN echoed that the program would open in phases and that “It’s unclear when the system will open for all payments subject to refund,” while also noting that the process could drag out if the administration took further actions to delay or reduce refunds.

Fox News and Fox Business both described the refunds as going directly to the businesses that originally paid the tariffs, with Fox Business saying “The refunds will be paid directly to the businesses that originally paid the tariffs.”

The Hill described how some businesses had already planned to pass refunds along to customers, quoting FedEx’s commitment to issue refunds to customers for whom it served as customs broker “as soon as it begins receiving refunds from CBP.”

The Guardian added that FedEx “has said it will pass refunds back to the customers it shipped goods for,” and it also said Costco “has suggested it could lower prices if it gets money back,” while noting that “some shoppers are already suing the retailer.”

Time Magazine described how the refunds are not automatic, saying “Tariff refunds are not automatic for businesses that were impacted in the last year,” and it described the portal’s initial focus on “certain unliquidated entries and certain entries within 80 days of liquidation.”

Finally, the Guardian reported that more than 3,000 companies had sued the administration to secure refunds, and it described the legal posture as a reason businesses were confident enough to file even before the Supreme Court issued its verdict.