Advisory – Prepare to Receive CBP IEEPA Duty Refunds

In view of the recent CBP statement regarding the plans to build new ACE functionality that will streamline the refund process (👉 CBP Preparing ACE System to Process IEEPA Tariff Refunds After Court Order), as we continue reviewing potential IEEPA duty refunds, the first step to ensure your company can receive any refunds issued directly by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is to confirm that you have:

1️⃣ An active ACE (Automated Commercial Environment) account
2️⃣ A verified U.S. bank account registered with CBP for ACH refunds

Beginning February 6, 2026, CBP transitioned to issuing duty refunds electronically via ACH (direct deposit) rather than paper checks in most cases.

👉 ACE Portal and ACH Refunds FAQs

If your company does not have an ACE account or does not have ACH refund information entered, refund payments may be delayed.

 

Step 1 – Create or Confirm Your ACE Portal Account

The ACE Secure Data Portal is CBP’s online system used by importers to manage trade data, filings, and refund information.

👉 ACE: The Import and Export Processing System

Official CBP page to apply:

👉 Applying for an ACE Secure Data Portal Account

CBP requires companies to:

  • Confirm they do not already have an ACE account
    • Designate an Account Owner for the company
    • Submit the ACE Portal account application for importers

Once approved, the Account Owner can create additional users and manage company access.

Step 2 – Enter Your Bank Information for ACH Refunds

Once logged into ACE:

  1. Go to the Importer Account view
  2. Locate the “ACH Refund Authorization” tab
  3. Enter your U.S. bank routing and account information

Official CBP guidance:

👉 CBP ACH Refund Enrollment Guidance

CBP uses this information to deposit refunds directly to your bank account.

👉 New Functionality Pertaining to Electronic Refunds in the Automated Commercial Environment

Step 3 – Confirm Your Account is Active

If your company already has an ACE account:

  • Log in and confirm it is active
    • Verify that ACH refund information is entered and current

If the account is inactive, it may need to be reactivated before refunds can be issued electronically.

👉 ACH Refund Enrollment Process

Why This Matters for IEEPA Refunds

If CBP issues refunds related to the IEEPA tariff litigation, payments will typically be processed through the ACE refund system using ACH electronic transfer.

Ensuring your ACE account and ACH setup are complete now helps avoid delays later.

 

✅ Recommended Action

Please confirm with your internal team or accounting department that:

  • Your company has an ACE Portal account
    • The Account Owner is still active
    • ACH refund banking information is entered and verified