US Customs Expects Tariff Refund System to Go Online in 45 Days

CBP said it has collected about $166 billion from more than 330,000 businesses under the now-invalidated tariff structure.

Shipping cranes stand above container ships loaded with shipping containers at the Port of Los Angeles on Feb. 20, 2026. Mario Tama/Getty Images

U.S. customs officials say they’re building a system to issue tariff refunds, and they hope it will go online within 45 days.

On March 6, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials told the U.S. Court of International Trade that its current computer systems are not equipped to immediately handle a surge of refund claims, but that the agency is working on a streamlined process that would spare importers from having to file individual lawsuits.