There is a new deadline for U.S. importers to file for electronic refunds if the Supreme Court rules President Donald Trump’s IEEPA tariffs are illegal.
U.S. Customs published details of a new electronic refund process on Jan. 2, established as part of a March 25 Trump executive order on modernizing government payments and phasing out physical checks.
The mandatory deadline for importers to sign up in order to receive electronic refunds through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network with Customs is February 6, 2026.
The new digital Customs system is called ACE (Automated Commercial Environment), a secure electronic portal allowing businesses to file import/export data, manage trade information, and comply with regulations. ACE will manage the ACH refunds.
Prior to this, importers had to manually set up an account in the ACH network with Customs to pay duties or receive funds by email.