The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency said it intends to launch the first phase of its tariff refund process Monday.
CBP has created a processing tool called the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE). CAPE is scheduled to launch Monday and will consolidate refunds of tariffs paid under the CBP’s International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The consolidated requests will replace processing refunds on an entry-by-entry basis.
CBP said importers submit their request through an online portal. CAPE checks the request and handles easy cases automatically.
A CBP officer reviews more complex tariff refunds. After the review, CBP makes a final decision and updates the official records. If the refund request is approved, any money owed is refunded to the importers.
CAPE’s first phase applies only to unliquidated entries and selected entries within 80 days of liquidation. Importers are required to maintain an account in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) portal and enroll in Automated Clearing House (ACH) to receive refunds electronically.
Importers begin the process by filing a CAPE declaration within the ACE portal. Once the CBP accepts the declaration, the IEEPA Harmonized Tariff Schedule number will be removed. The tariffs will be recalculated with the IEEPA duties. CBP will review the updated information.
RVIA cautioned its members that tariff refunds are still not guaranteed.
For more on the IEEPA refunds, click here.
