President Donald Trump may not be too pleased with the U.S. Supreme Court regarding his tariffs. Two months after the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s most sweeping tariffs, American importers, who are owed $166 billion in refunds plus interest, can begin applying for reimbursement Monday through a new U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) portal.
As per CNN, CBP estimates that refunds will be issued within 60 to 90 days after approval, but it could take longer depending on whether additional reviews of entries are merited.
Trump’s recent tariffs measures relied on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The administration argued that persistent trade imbalances and foreign economic practices constituted a national emergency, allowing the president to impose broad import duties without congressional approval.
The policy was controversial from the outset. Business groups, importers, and several state governments filed lawsuits, arguing that IEEPA was never intended to authorize sweeping tariffs and that such authority rests with Congress. The dispute escalated quickly through the courts due to the scale of the tariffs and their impact on global supply chains.
READ: Refunds loom after US collected $130 billion in disputed tariffs (March 5, 2026)
In February, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the use of IEEPA to impose these tariffs exceeded presidential authority. The decision invalidated the legal basis for much of the 2025 tariff program. As a result, the federal government is now required to return duties collected under that framework.
As per CNN, the program, called the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE), “is designed to consolidate refunds of IEEPA duties including interest rather than processing refunds on an entry-by-entry basis,” CBP said in a prior notice.
The refunds are directed primarily to U.S. importers who paid the tariffs, including manufacturers, retailers, and logistics firms. A federal claims system launched in April to process applications, with payouts expected to take months or longer due to the volume and complexity of claims.
According to Axios, CBP is due to launch the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) portal through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) system.
Companies must submit what’s known as a “CAPE declaration” (Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries), which CBP says will streamline the “submission and processing of valid refund requests for duties imposed” under the IEEPA.
READ: American consumers are owed $138 B refund for overpayment (February 21, 2026)
“Importers of Record” and authorized customs brokers must create an account on the ACE portal and submit bank account information.
The system requires importers and authorized brokers to file claims for duties paid in a process that should see them refunded within 60-90 days of their application, according to a CBP post.
This development marks a significant moment in the balance between executive trade authority and constitutional limits in the United States. It reinforces the idea that even large-scale economic policies, when challenged, can be subject to judicial review and reversal if they exceed statutory boundaries. For businesses, the refund process offers partial financial relief.
Politically, it is likely to intensify debate over how far presidential emergency powers should extend in economic policymaking.