The U.S. tariff refund portal, a significant online resource for American businesses, goes live today, April 20, 2026. This portal is part of the new Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) system developed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to facilitate the filing of refund claims for tariffs that the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional in February. The Court's decision invalidated tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which were deemed to exceed presidential authority, leading to an estimated $166 billion in refunds owed to importers.

The initial phase of the refund portal is limited to unliquidated entries—those still under customs review or within 80 days of final processing. This approach allows CBP to manage the high volume of claims, as they anticipate that around $127 billion is owed to businesses that have already enrolled in electronic payment systems. Although the portal is designed to streamline the refund process, businesses should expect a waiting period of 60 to 90 days for payments to be processed.

Eligibility for refunds primarily depends on the timing and classification of import entries, with businesses that paid tariffs but have entries still under federal review being prioritized. While large retailers may eventually pass on some savings to consumers, there is no guarantee that these refunds will directly benefit individual shoppers. As the tariff refund portal evolves, it will gradually include more complex entries, marking the start of a lengthy recovery process for many importers.