U.S. Customs and Border Protection will begin processing tariff refunds under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) on April 20, marking the official launch of the first phase of its new digital refund system.

The agency announced April 13 that importers will be able to submit claims through its Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) portal, a multi-phase system designed to handle refund requests tied to IEEPA duties. The initial rollout will focus on unliquidated entries and those within the 90-day reliquidation window, consistent with prior guidance.

CBP said it expects the refund process to take between 60 and 90 days from claim submission to payment — a notable extension from earlier estimates that refunds could be completed in up to 45 days. The revised timeline reflects the complexity of validating claims and processing large volumes of entries through the new system.

The April 20 launch represents the first operational step in a broader, phased rollout of CAPE, which CBP has been developing within its Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). The system includes functionality for claim submission, mass processing, review and liquidation or reliquidation and final refund issuance.

As previously outlined, Phase 1 will not include all entry types. More complex scenarios — including entries flagged for reconciliation, drawback claims and those with final liquidation status — will be addressed in future phases as CBP expands system capabilities.

CBP also reiterated that all refunds will be issued electronically, requiring importers to be enrolled to receive payments through the agency’s digital system.

The agency has not provided a firm timeline for subsequent phases but indicated that additional functionality will be introduced over time to expand eligibility and streamline processing.