CBP: Tariff Refunds Delayed, New System in the Works
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is not yet able to refund the reciprocal tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court earlier this month, the agency told Court of International Trade Judge Richard Eaton on Friday (CNBC).
What’s going on: CBP cited the volume of tariffs, estimated at about $166 billion, and technical limitations as reasons for the delay.
- As of March 4, 2026, over 330,000 importers have made a total of over 53 million entries involving IEEPA tariffs.
The fix: The Automated Commercial Environment—the CBP system that tracks imports and processes tariff payments—will have to be adjusted, the agency said.
- It is planning to add a new process “that will streamline and consolidate refunds and interest payments on an importer basis,” it said in its filing with the court.
The details: The new process, which CBP plans to have in place within 45 days, will automate many steps that would otherwise be performed manually when issuing refunds. Under the new system:
- Importers will file a declaration in ACE listing the affected entries
- The system will automatically validate and re-calculate the duty owed and process refunds (with interest)
- Refunds will be aggregated (with interest) by importer
- CBP will certify the refunds and the Treasury Department will issue the refunds electronically
The immediate future: The Court of International Trade suspended its order for immediate refunds and required CBP to provide an update on its technical solution this Thursday, March 12.
- Meanwhile, the government is expected to appeal the ruling to the Federal Circuit, challenging the CIT’s authority to issue a broad, “universal” injunction requiring the refunds.
What filers can do: Effective Feb. 6, 2026, CBP requires that refunds are issued electronically. For more information, consult CBP’s enrollment process here.
- If you have any questions, please contact NAM Vice President of International Policy Andrea Durkin at [email protected] or NAM Senior Director of International Policy Anne Collett at [email protected].