The Trump administration is processing over $35.5 billion in tariff refunds for importers who successfully filed claims after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the president's signature economic policy unlawful. According to a May 11, 2026 court filing by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), payments for duties paid under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) are being processed through a new online government portal, including interest on over 8 million import entries. Brandon Lord, executive director of trade programs for CBP's Office of Trade, confirmed the ongoing processing of payments.
The IEEPA tariffs were invalidated by the Supreme Court's February 20, 2026 ruling in a 6-3 decision, holding that IEEPA does not authorize the president to impose tariffs. The ruling overturned approximately $166 billion in collected duties and triggered a court-mandated refund process. The Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) portal, launched on April 20, 2026, streamlines the submission of refund requests by consolidating entries rather than processing them individually. As of May 11, the system had received 126,000 declarations, with 87,000 validated and cleared for payment by the Treasury Department.
The first refund payments began reaching importers last week. Companies including Oshkosh Corporation and Basic Fun confirmed they have received returns into their bank accounts. Logistics companies UPS, FedEx, and DHL previously stated they will file for refunds on behalf of customers. However, CBP noted that the first phase only accepts claims for certain unliquidated entries and entries within 80 days of liquidation; more complex cases and finally liquidated entries will be addressed in future phases. Currently, 1,880 consolidated refunds have not yet been transmitted to Treasury because importers have not yet provided bank account information.
CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott discussed the refund process at a closed court hearing on May 13, and the agency is instructed to file another progress update on May 26. Future phases will add functionality for more complicated scenarios. Industry experts note the 60-90 day refund timeline is performing better than expected, though they emphasize importers must ensure data consistency and complete electronic bank account registration in the ACE Portal to avoid delays.
Note: This summary draws on SupplyChainBrain's publicly visible headline + subhead + opening paragraph and on sector background on U.S. customs refund systems.
Key Takeaways:
1. The U.S. administration cleared $35.5 billion in tariff refunds for IEEPA duties struck down by the Supreme Court, processing 8.3 million import entries.
2. The CAPE portal opened April 20; 87,000 of 126,000 declarations were validated and forwarded to Treasury for payment.
3. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on February 20 that IEEPA does not authorize the president to impose tariffs, invalidating approximately $166 billion in duties.
4. First refund payments began reaching companies last week; FedEx, UPS, and DHL initiated filing on behalf of customers.
5. Future phases will address unliquidated and complex scenarios; importers must update bank details in the ACE Portal to avoid payment delays.
