As noted in our March 13 GT Alert, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is developing a refund process for importers who paid duties the Trump administration imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The Court of International Trade (CIT) has been overseeing CBP’s progress in the case Atmus Filtration, Inc. v. United States, Court No. 26-01259, before Judge Richard K. Eaton. Below are three key developments from the week of March 17, 2026.
IEEPA Tariff Refund System Update
On March 19, CBP Executive Director Brandon Lord filed a declaration with the CIT, providing updated completion estimates for each component of CBP’s new refund system, known as the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE), within CBP’s Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). The four CAPE components and their current status are as follows: