The U.S. government owes importers billions in unlawfully collected tariffs.
Federal courts ruled the IEEPA tariffs unconstitutional. The CBP refund portal is open. We help importers with claims of $250,000+ recover their money — fast, expertly, and with legal backup if it's needed.
What's at stake
What Actually Happened
In early 2025, the President invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose sweeping tariffs on imports from nearly every country. Federal courts have since ruled those tariffs unconstitutional — and ordered the government to pay importers back.
Tariffs Imposed
IEEPA tariffs charged on imports from February through June 2025. Billions paid by U.S. importers.
Courts Rule Unlawful
Multiple federal courts — and the Supreme Court — ruled the IEEPA tariffs were unconstitutional.
Refunds Ordered
The Court of International Trade ordered CBP to refund the unlawfully collected tariffs to importers.
Portal Opens
CBP launched the CAPE refund mechanism inside the ACE portal on April 20, 2026. Filing is now live.
A complete recovery service — not just a filing
Most customs brokers can submit a Phase 1 CAPE filing, but they can't go further. We provide end-to-end recovery: portal expertise, deadline management, and through our attorney network, escalation when claims need it.
ACE Portal Expertise
The ACE portal is the bottleneck. Most importers don't have active access, and getting it can take 6–8 weeks while refund eligibility shrinks. We move the process forward on Day 1 and file the moment access is live.
Correct CAPE Filing
CAPE is new. Errors slow refunds or kill them entirely. We handle entry-level data, eligibility verification, and submission so your claim is filed cleanly and processed without rework.
Protests Before Deadlines Pass
Entries outside the CAPE window can still be protected through formal protest filings within 180 days post-liquidation. Working with our attorney partners, we make sure deadlines don't quietly close on recoverable money.
Litigation Support When It's Needed
If a claim falls outside the protest window, or if the government appeals, recovery may require a lawsuit. Through our attorney partnerships, we can support clients into litigation rather than dropping them when things get harder.
Built for serious importers with real exposure
We focus on companies with claims of $250,000 and up. These are clients who need genuine expertise — not generic refund mills, and not brokers limited to the easy filings.
Mid-Market Importers
Businesses with regular shipments through 2025 and likely refunds between $250K and $2M.
- Importer of record on entries
- $20M–$250M revenue
- CFO or controller-led decisions
Large-Volume Importers
High-shipment-count companies with refund exposure of $2M+ across hundreds or thousands of entries.
- Mixed CAPE / protest portfolios
- Want one relationship, all paths
- Need legal backstop
Importers With ACE Issues
Companies whose ACE accounts are dormant, locked, or never set up — and don't know where to start.
- We resolve access issues
- Stop the deadline clock
- File the moment access opens
Contingency-based. Pay only on recovery.
Our fee is a flat percentage of the refund we recover for you, scaled to the size of your claim. No retainer, no hourly billing, no surprises.
Litigation work, when required, is handled by our attorney partners under a separate engagement. Pricing for that work is disclosed upfront and only applies to clients whose claims require it.
Four steps from inquiry to refund
Free Eligibility Review
You submit basic information about your imports. We confirm IEEPA eligibility and estimate your claim.
Engagement & ACE Setup
You sign a simple contingency agreement. We immediately begin ACE access setup or recovery.
CAPE Filing
We file your refund claim through the CAPE portal. Where needed, we file protests to preserve rights.
Refund Wired
CBP processes the claim and wires your refund directly — typically within 60 to 90 days, with interest.
Every Friday, refund eligibility shrinks.
CBP liquidates entries weekly. The CAPE eligibility window is tight — and ACE access can take 6 to 8 weeks to set up. The earlier you start, the more of your refund you can recover.
Request Your Free Claim ReviewFrequently Asked Questions
Are you a law firm?
No. Alliance Tariff is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. We handle the operational and procedural work of recovering IEEPA tariff refunds — eligibility analysis, ACE portal coordination, and CAPE filings. For matters that require legal practice — such as formal protests in contested situations or litigation — we coordinate with attorney partners under a separate engagement, and we disclose that to clients upfront.
What is IEEPA, and why are these tariffs being refunded?
The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) is a federal statute that allows the President to regulate international commerce in response to declared national emergencies. In 2025, the President used IEEPA to impose tariffs on imports from nearly every country. Federal courts — including the Supreme Court — ruled the President did not have legal authority to impose those tariffs under IEEPA, and the Court of International Trade ordered CBP to refund them.
How do I know if my company qualifies?
Generally, your company qualifies if (1) it imported goods into the U.S. between February and June 2025, (2) it was the importer of record on those entries, and (3) IEEPA-classified tariffs were paid on those imports. We confirm all of this during the free eligibility review before any engagement.
What is the ACE portal and CAPE?
ACE (Automated Commercial Environment) is U.S. Customs and Border Protection's electronic portal for importers. CAPE is the new refund mechanism CBP built inside ACE specifically to process IEEPA tariff refund claims. To file a claim, an importer must have an active ACE account — which is often the slowest part of the process.
What if my customs broker is already handling this?
Brokers can handle simple Phase 1 CAPE filings. They generally cannot handle protests or litigation, which become necessary when claims fall outside the CAPE window or if the government appeals. Many of our clients come to us specifically because they want one relationship that covers all three paths, with attorney support if it's needed.
What does it actually cost?
Our fee is a flat percentage of the refund we recover for you: 5% on claims up to $1M, 4% on claims between $1M and $2M, and 3% on claims above $2M. There's no retainer and no charge if no refund is recovered. We focus on claims of $250,000 and up.
How long until I get my refund?
For Phase 1 CAPE-eligible claims, CBP has stated refunds will be wired within roughly 60 to 90 days of acceptance, with interest. The largest variable is how quickly we can establish ACE portal access, which is why getting started early matters.
Why is speed so important?
CBP liquidates entries automatically every Friday. Once an entry has been liquidated for more than 80 days, it falls out of CAPE eligibility and into the protest window. Once outside the protest window, the only remaining option is litigation. Every week of delay means more entries age out of the easiest refund path.