SouthernWorldwide.com – Businesses that had sought reimbursements for former President Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs, which were ultimately invalidated by the Supreme Court in February, are now receiving more concrete information regarding when they can expect to receive their funds.
The Trump administration is anticipated to disburse the initial tariff refunds starting as early as May 11, according to court documents that were filed this week. The White House had previously collected an estimated $166 billion in duties, which are now slated for repayment to importers.
On April 20, the federal government introduced a dedicated portal for businesses to submit refund requests related to Mr. Trump’s International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, tariffs. The tool, named CAPE (Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries), experienced an initial technical glitch and temporarily crashed due to the overwhelming volume of businesses attempting to access the site immediately after its launch.
Since then, the portal has largely functioned as intended for the majority of businesses. Some legal professionals have expressed approval of the swiftness with which the U.S. government established this refund mechanism.
U.S. Court of International Trade Judge Richard Eaton, who is overseeing the tariff refund process, indicated in a filing on Tuesday that the first wave of refunds could be deposited into businesses’ bank accounts around May 11.
Judge Eaton further stated that U.S. Customs and Border Protection has accepted approximately 21% of the IEEPA duty refund applications submitted. Among these accepted requests, 3% are currently in the “refund stage of the process,” Eaton reported. The initial refunds, which will be issued by the U.S. Treasury Department, are expected to be disbursed starting May 11.
In his filing, Judge Eaton also acknowledged some of the challenges that businesses encountered while navigating the tariff refund application process. Reports from some importers indicated difficulties in accessing their Customs importer accounts and lengthy wait times when attempting to resolve administrative errors.
Beth Benike, a co-founder of Busy Baby, a Minnesota-based company specializing in baby accessories, is among the U.S. small business owners who have not yet been able to apply for refunds amounting to tens of thousands of dollars due to issues accessing the portal.
Dahlia Rizk, the owner of Buckle Me Baby, a Massachusetts-based company that produces children’s outerwear, also described difficulties in applying for the $66,000 in refunds she is owed.
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“It was very difficult. I had a lot of trouble,” she shared with CBS News. “I shouldn’t have had to call up Border Patrol and explain my entire life story.” Ultimately, she managed to submit an application, which she stated has been approved by Customs and she anticipates receiving in the coming months.
