The Tariff Refund Window Is Open. Here Is What Small Business Importers Need to Do.

by | May 21, 2026 | Business Strategy, Economic Insight, SMB Leadership

On February 20, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a category of tariffs called IEEPA tariffs. More than 300,000 U.S. companies that paid these tariffs are owed refunds, totaling roughly $166 billion. U.S. Customs opened the refund process on April 20, and interest is accruing at 6% on what you are owed.

Are You Eligible?

Two questions tell you if you qualify.

Did you pay the tariff yourself? Refunds go to whoever paid Customs directly. If your supplier paid the tariff and sold the goods to you, your supplier qualifies, not you. The next move is a conversation with your supplier about whether their refund affects your pricing.

Was the tariff an IEEPA tariff? Eligible tariffs are commonly called “fentanyl,” “trafficking,” “reciprocal,” and “baseline” tariffs, plus some on goods from Brazil and India. Several other categories, such as those listed below, are not in scope:

  • Section 232. Duties of 10% to 50% on steel, aluminum, copper, and related products, applied for national security reasons.
  • Section 301. Duties on Chinese goods imposed in 2018 over technology and intellectual property practices.
  • Section 201. Temporary safeguard measures under the Trade Act of 1974 used when an import surge causes serious injury to a U.S. industry.
  • Anti-dumping duties. Duties on imports priced below fair market value.

If you are not sure which type you paid, your customs broker can tell you.

The Four Steps to Take Now

Talk to your customs broker first. They will be your front line for the new system. Then:

  1. Update your contact information with Customs. CBP Form 5106 is the form. Make sure your email is current.
  2. Set up your ACE Portal account. Register here. New accounts take 3 to 4 weeks. Start this first.
  3. Sign up for direct deposit. Refunds come electronically. Enroll in ACH here.
  4. Have your customs broker check your records for excluded shipments. A few categories are not in the initial refund pool, including drawback claims, pending protests, anti-dumping cases the Department of Commerce is still working through, and shipments not in the ACE Portal.

A tax note: how a refund is treated depends on how you originally recorded the duty expense. Consult your tax professional before the refund posts to your account.

The official source is the Customs IEEPA Duty Refunds page.