CBP eyes tech upgrade to restart refunds on Trump-era tariffs

CBP told a federal court it cannot immediately refund reciprocal tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act after the Supreme Court ruled them illegal, citing limitations in its current technology and processes. The agency plans to roll out new functionality in its Automated Commercial Environment within about 45 days to handle refunds on an importer basis (rather than 54 million separate refunds), potentially starting by late April. The move affects roughly $166 billion in duties collected, with hundreds of thousands of importers and millions of entries involved, and follows Judge Eaton’s order to calculate costs and issue refunds.