US Opens Tariff Refund Portal as Administration Considers Cutting $166 Billion Repayment

TL;DR: The US government opened an online portal for importers to seek refunds on tariffs deemed illegal by the Supreme Court, while officials say they may try to cut the total repayment.

On March 6, the Customs and Border Protection agency opened the CAPE portal for importers to request refunds on duties collected under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

The portal follows a Supreme Court ruling in January that found the Trump administration’s use of IEEPA to impose tariffs on certain goods exceeded the law’s authority.

The ruling came after a lawsuit filed by importers who argued that the tariffs were imposed without proper congressional approval.

The decision affirmed that IEEPA cannot be used to address trade disputes that are not tied to a national emergency.

Importers and authorized customs brokers can now submit a single CAPE declaration instead of filing for each shipment entry.

As of March 4, more than 330,000 importers had paid a total of $166 billion in IEEPA duties, according to a court filing by a CBP trade office official.

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told Fox Business that the administration is studying alternative authorities that could reduce the refund amount, saying it is a work in progress.

Interest on the refunds will be calculated at the rate set by the Treasury Department for overpayments.

The portal is designed to consolidate refunds, including interest, and the government says payments will generally be issued 60 to 90 days after a declaration is accepted, though exact timing may vary based on case complexity.

While the process aims to comply with the court order, officials acknowledge that delays and glitches are possible as the system rolls out.

Watch for updates on whether the administration succeeds in lowering the $166 billion repayment and how quickly the portal processes the first batch of claims.