In CSMS messages issued on April 10 and April 13, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) provided updates on its new Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) Portal. The notices provide additional details on the Phase 1 rollout and confirm that the portal will launch on April 20, 2026.
What is the CAPE Claims Portal?
The CAPE Claim Portal within ACE will serve as the central entry point for importers and customs brokers to submit IEEPA refund requests, referred to as “CAPE Declarations.”
The four components of CAPE are:
- Claim Portal
- Mass Processing
- Review and Liquidation/Reliquidation
- Refund
CBP Trade Information Notice with additional information and resources can be found HERE.
What Refund Requests can be Submitted in Phase 1?
CAPE Declarations must include only entries on which IEEPA tariffs have been paid. These entries can be identified by the Chapter 99 HTS numbers associated with IEEPA-related tariffs. However, certain entries are not eligible for inclusion in a CAPE Declaration during Phase 1. Those entries must wait for subsequent system programming and guidance before they can be processed.
Factors which will exclude an entry from Phase 1 contain any of the following:
- Flagged for Reconciliation (type 09 entry)
- A Drawback entry (type 47 entry)
- USMCA Duty Deferral entry (type 08 entry)
- Entry with an Open or Suspended Protest
- “Open” or “closed” liquidation status (i.e. Temporary Importation under Bond entry)
- AD/CVD entry summary in pending liquidation status
- Entry is more than 80 days past the liquidation date.
- Goods value amount not allowed on IEEPA HTS line.
Qualifying entry numbers must be included in a CSV file which is uploaded and submitted in the CAPE tab within ACE.
This file is validated in the system, and the entire declaration will be rejected if this step fails. Errors will be identified so they can be corrected and a new CAPE Declaration submitted.
After submission, the Declaration undergoes entry-specific validation checks. Entries that fail validation at this stage are removed and rejected, while those that pass continue through the process.
Entries that successfully pass validation are considered “accepted” and are assigned a CAPE claim number. These entries will liquidate 45 days from the date the CAPE claim number is assigned, except in cases where liquidation is ‘under review’, suspended, or extended, or for warehouse and warehouse withdrawal entries. In those situations, liquidation will proceed according to the standard process and timeline.
CBP has provided a Quick Reference Guide on the CAPE filing process, which can be found HERE
When Will Refunds Be Issued?
IEEPA refunds will be issued 60 - 90 days following acceptance of a CAPE Declaration, unless a compliance concern requires further CBP review. This time frame includes 45 days for CBP review, prior to liquidation, plus additional time to process the refund through Treasury.
Who Can Complete CAPE Declarations?
The Importer of Record can file their own declarations directly through the CAPE tab in their ACE Portal Account or the Customs Broker who originally filed the entry on behalf the importer can submit a CAPE Declaration on that importer’s behalf.
What should Importers do while they wait for the Portal to go Live?
Be prepared to file when the portal goes live by completing the following during this waiting period.
- Gain access to your importer ACE account.
- Ensure you are familiar with the system’s functionalities.
- Run reports to understand your total tariff exposure & potential refund amount, number of impacted entries, and liquidation status of these entries.
- Enroll in ACH refund!
- This is an incredibly crucial step. No monies will be returned to importers via paper check. Every importer must be set up on ACH refund to receive refunds from CBP.
Information on establishing an ACE account & Enrolling in ACH Refund:
Every importer must establish an account on the ACE portal in order to receive electronic refunds and access entry filing & liquidation reports. Accessing the CAPE Portal and submitting refund declarations will also be done in ACE.
- One Page Overview: ACH Refund Enrollment
- Frequently Asked Questions: ACE Portal and ACH Refunds FAQs
- Training Video: Applying for an ACE Portal Importer Account and Enrolling in ACH Refunds
- Training Guide: ACE Portal Importer Account Application
- Training Guide: ACH Refund Enrollment in the ACE Portal
- Rejected ACH Refund Information: Replacement Refund Instructions
The Laufer Group team will continue to monitor these changes and provide updates on any significant developments.
Please contact your local customer service or sales representative for additional information and service options and continue to visit laufer.com for more market Insights.