Get back the tariffs you overpaid
The Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA tariffs in February 2026. CBP is refunding them through the CAPE process in ACE — but it’s claim-driven, and 6.1M of 27.2M claimed entries have already failed CBP’s checks. Estimate what you overpaid since Feb 2025, then get a CAPE-ready list.
Since April 20, 2026, IEEPA duties are refunded through CBP’s CAPE process inside ACE — you submit a CSV of your entry numbers (not a protest or PSC), CBP strips the IEEPA lines and pays the duty back with interest. Of ~$166B assessed, about $134.7B had been accepted by September 2026. Two things trip importers up: ACH refund enrollment (separate from ACH payment — CBP no longer mails checks) and getting the entry list clean so it passes validation.
💡 Find your exact rate on CBP Form 7501 — the 9903.01.xx reciprocal and fentanyl/border IEEPA lines. Not sure? 10% is the common reciprocal baseline (China & some origins paid more).
$1,000,000.00 customs value × 10% IEEPA/reciprocal rate. This is a planning estimate, not a determination of what CBP will refund.
What to do next
- Pull your CBP entry summaries (Form 7501) from Feb 2025 on and total the duty on the 9903.01.xx reciprocal and fentanyl/border IEEPA lines.
- Enroll for ACH refunds in ACE — this is separate from ACH payment, and CBP no longer mails paper checks.
- Submit your entry-number CSV through CBP’s CAPE process (up to 9,999 entries per file), or hand your broker a CAPE-ready list. CBP refunds the duty with interest.
Build a CAPE-ready report (from $299) → Or get a done-with-you review
How a ShipSeeker refund review works
Estimate
Enter your import value since Feb 2025 and the IEEPA rate you paid for a quick ballpark of what’s recoverable.
Build the CAPE list
We turn your entries into a CAPE-ready CSV — the IEEPA lines, duty paid and refund estimate per entry — and flag the likely rejection reasons before you submit.
Submit in ACE
You (or your broker) upload the CSV through CBP’s CAPE process. We don’t file for you — we make the claim clean, complete and ACH-ready so it passes validation.
Get a CAPE-ready refund review
Tell us roughly what you imported and we’ll follow up with how to recover it through CAPE — including the ACH-refund step most importers miss. No obligation.
Common questions
Can I get a refund on the IEEPA tariffs I paid?
Likely yes. On February 20, 2026 the Supreme Court held that IEEPA does not authorize the President to impose these tariffs (Learning Resources v. Trump). That covers both the "reciprocal" tariffs most origins paid and the earlier fentanyl/border IEEPA tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico. CBP is refunding the duty — but it is claim-driven, not automatic, and eligibility depends on each entry's status.
How do I claim it — is it a protest or a PSC?
For IEEPA duties the route is CBP's CAPE process inside ACE, which opened April 20, 2026 — not a traditional protest or post-summary correction. You (or your broker) submit a CSV listing the entry numbers you want refunded; once validated, CBP strips the IEEPA Chapter 99 lines from the entry and refunds the duty with statutory interest. Each CSV holds up to 9,999 entries, and supporting documents generally aren't required up front.
How much could I be owed?
Roughly your dutiable customs value during the period times the IEEPA rate you paid — commonly a ~10% reciprocal baseline, with China and some origins higher (the first China fentanyl tariff was 10%, raised to 20%). The exact lines are the 9903.01.xx reciprocal and the fentanyl/border IEEPA lines on your CBP Form 7501.
What period is refundable?
IEEPA tariffs ran from February 4, 2025 — the first was a 10% tariff on China (raised to 20% on March 4), with Canada and Mexico added March 4 and the broader "reciprocal" tariffs from about April 2025 — until the Supreme Court struck them down in February 2026. Duty paid on IEEPA lines across that window is in scope.
What do I need before I can file?
An ACE Portal account and — easy to miss — ACH refund enrollment. CBP stopped mailing paper refund checks on February 6, 2026, and ACH duty-payment enrollment does NOT automatically enroll you for ACH refunds; it is a separate step. Refunds are consolidated by importer and liquidation date and paid with interest.
Why might my claim be rejected or excluded?
Of about 27.2M claimed entries, 6.1M failed CBP's checks — usually entries outside the filed window, missing IEEPA tariff lines, or entries already claimed. Phase 1 also excluded entries flagged for reconciliation, on a drawback claim, under an open protest, or not filed in ACE. Finally-liquidated entries can generally only be recovered by importers who sued (CAPE Phase 3, opened October 6, 2026, is plaintiffs-only).
Do I need a customs broker?
Not necessarily — an importer of record can submit its own CAPE declaration — but a licensed broker helps for large or messy entry sets and for diagnosing rejections. ShipSeeker estimates what you're owed and hands you a CAPE-ready entry list; we don't file on your behalf or give legal advice.
Estimate only — not legal, tax or customs advice. Whether a specific entry qualifies for a refund and how to claim it depends on its facts and liquidation status; the CAPE process is still rolling out in phases and a Federal Circuit appeal affects finally-liquidated entries. Confirm everything with a licensed customs broker or trade attorney. Primary sources: U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CAPE), Federal Register.