What is the CAPE program?
Quick answer
CAPE (Customs Automated Protest and Entry) is CBP's electronic program for processing tariff refund declarations. Importers who overpaid IEEPA or Section 301 tariffs submit CAPE declarations through the ACE portal. Tariffi automates the data preparation; your licensed customs broker partner transmits the declaration under their ABI filer code.
Detailed Answer
CAPE stands for Customs Automated Protest and Entry — CBP's electronic mechanism for processing tariff adjustment declarations, including refunds for overpaid IEEPA and Section 301 duties.
How CAPE works. When the federal government reduces or eliminates tariff rates retroactively, importers who already paid the higher rate are entitled to a refund of the difference. CAPE declarations are the formal vehicle for claiming that refund through CBP's ACE (Automated Commercial Environment) portal.
CAPE Phase 1 covers the initial tranche of IEEPA tariff adjustments and represents a $20B+ recovery pool across all eligible U.S. importers. Phase 1 declarations are processed on a rolling basis — there is no single batch deadline, but each entry has its own 180-day protest window per 19 CFR § 174.12 that starts from the liquidation date.
What makes CAPE different from a traditional protest. Traditional CBP protests under 19 U.S.C. § 1514 require individual filings per entry, extensive documentation, and often legal representation. CAPE streamlines this into a standardized CSV-based declaration format that can cover multiple entries in a single filing, dramatically reducing preparation time and broker workload.
How Tariffi fits in. Tariffi is a data-preparation platform — not a customs broker. We parse your ES-003 entry-summary data, identify qualifying entries, calculate recovery amounts, and prepare the CAPE declaration CSV. A CBP-licensed customs broker partner reviews the prepared data, applies their professional judgment (including 10-digit HTSUS statistical-suffix determinations per CBP Ruling HQ H350722), and transmits via their ABI filer code. This architecture complies with 19 U.S.C. § 1641 and CBP Ruling HQ H326926.
Learn more in our CAPE declaration guide.
Related Questions
How do I get a tariff refund?
Upload your ACE ES-003 entry-summary CSV to Tariffi. Our platform analyzes your entries for IEEPA and Section 301 overpayments, prepares the CAPE declaration data, and routes it to a CBP-licensed customs broker partner who files under their own license. No advance fees — you pay a contingency only when CBP approves your refund.
What is the deadline for CAPE Phase 1?
CAPE Phase 1 does not have a single batch deadline. Each entry has its own 180-day protest window per 19 CFR § 174.12 starting from the liquidation date. Entries that have already passed this window may still qualify through a protective CIT filing. File sooner to capture more entries before their individual windows close.
What is the difference between IEEPA and Section 301?
IEEPA tariffs are imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act during declared national emergencies. Section 301 tariffs are imposed under the Trade Act of 1974 to counter unfair trade practices, primarily targeting Chinese imports across four tranches. Both create refund opportunities through CAPE — Tariffi handles both.
Can I file a CAPE declaration myself?
Technically yes, if you have ACE portal access and a licensed customs broker willing to file. However, preparing the declaration data requires cross-referencing entry-level HTS codes against the CAPE-eligible tariff schedule, calculating duty differentials, and formatting to CBP's specifications. Tariffi automates this and includes broker filing at no extra cost.
Need help?
Upload your ES-003 to see how much you could recover, or talk to our team.