Launching in mid to late April, over 330,000 importers are eligible, but 90%'s haven't completed a critical step yet

Recently, the cross-border e-commerce circle has a heavy news screen:U.S. Customs is refunding $166 billion in tariffs!

This is not gossip, but real official action.2026 In March, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that some of the tariffs previously imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) were "unlawfully imposed" and must be refunded. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has promised to go live with the new system within 45 days, and to officially start the refund process in mid- to late-April.

This could be your company's biggest "windfall" of the year. But the question is: can you get it? How do you get it? When will you get it?

Today an article to give you a thorough, recommended to collect and forward to do exports to the United States friends.

I. Where did the $166 billion come from? Why is it being withdrawn now?

Background to the incident:
On February 20, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the Trump administration's reciprocal tariffs (commonly 10% by countries) and fentanyl tariffs under IEEPA were unconstitutional - because IEEPA itself does not authorize the president to impose tariffs.

This means that from February 2025 through February 2026, this portion of the tariffs imposed through IEEPA, theAll of them are illegal levies and theoretically need to be refunded in full.

How big is the tax rebate?
According to documents filed with the court by CBP:

• Amount involved:: Approximate$166 billion
• Importers involved: Super330,000 homes
• Involving imported goods: Super53 million pieces

This is the largest tariff rollback in U.S. history, bar none.

Timing Node:

• CBP CommitmentWithin 45 daysCompletion of new system development
• envisageMid to late AprilFormalization of the refund process
• The first scaled refunds to be issued, however, may need to be12 to 18 months

A special note is needed:
This time the refund is justIEEPA reciprocal tariffs and fentanyl tariffs, 232 tariffs (on steel and aluminum) and 301 tariffs (on Chinese goods)non-refundable. And as of March 4, the U.S. has initiated Section 122 Temporary Tariffs (currently 10%, valid for 150 days), and this is being levied and not refunded.

Second, who gets the money? It depends on two things.

First, the legal subject of the tax refund is the IOR (Importer of Record)

Under U.S. Customs rules, the subject of the legal right to drawback is the "importer of record" - that is, the entity registered with U.S. Customs that assumes legal responsibility for importation.The tax refund will be credited directly to the IOR's account.

If your import record is attached to the name of a freight forwarder or a third party, the money will go to them first. Whether or not it can be transferred back to you depends entirely on the contractual agreement and the cooperation of the other party.

Secondly, you must complete the registration for the e-refund system

CBP has been clear:All refunds must be issued electronically. But as of early March, of the 330,000 eligible importers, only about21,200 homesHaving completed the enrollment in the electronic tax refund system.It accounts for less than 10%!

In other words, a large number of people who would have been eligible to get their money won't be able to claim it when the system opens because their accounts aren't set up properly.CBP even warns that any importer who doesn't complete this setup will have their refund requests denied until they complete their enrollment.

If you still have questions about the $166 billion in tariff refunds, or need a professional team to help you deal with tax refunds, please feel free to contact me (phone: 13045886252, micro-signal: qcy20251218). Let us use our nearly ten years of experience serving the U.S. market to help you secure this windfall.

C. Which category does your customs declaration fall into? Determining the path to a tax refund

Under CBP, the path to refund depends entirely on the "clearing status" of the customs declaration. The process varies greatly from one status to the next, and mistakes can lead to missed opportunities.

Category I: unliquidated customs declarations
Final CBP clearance has not been completed after the goods have entered customs (usually within 314 days of entry). This is the easiest route to a tax refund.

• manipulate: Immediately instruct the U.S. importer to submit a request through the Post Clearance Correction (PSC) process to directly request the removal of the IEEPA tariffs and re-clearance.
• reminder: About 4 million unofficial customs declarations will be automatically cleared on March 16, and the companies concerned will need tofast track

Category II: cleared but not finalized customs declarations
Initial liquidation has been completed but is still within the 180-day protest period, or a protest has been filed but not yet closed.

• manipulate: Urge U.S. importers to file a formal "protest" (CBP Form 19) with CBP during the protest period, requesting that the IEEPA tariffs be re-cleared and removed.
• reminder: The 180-day protest period is rigid and cannot be reinstated. Large customs declarations that are about to expire need to prioritize the filing of "protective protests" to lock in entitlements

Category III: Finalized customs declarations
Liquidation has been completed and the 180-day protest period has been exceeded. The avenues for administrative relief have been closed.

• manipulate: The only viable way to do this is to file a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT).
• suggestion: Individual litigation is costly and lengthy, consider joining the more than 2,500 tax refund class actions already accepted by the CIT

Category IV: Informal customs declarations
About 4 million unofficial declarations will be automatically cleared on March 16.CBP currently has no mechanism to prevent their clearing, and the businesses involved must process them before then.

IV. Four things Chinese enterprises must do (immediate action)

Unlike U.S.-based importers, Chinese companies tend to participate in trade as exporters, and the realization of duty drawback entitlements often depends on the cooperation of U.S. importers. The following actions are recommended for immediate action:

Step 1: Take a comprehensive inventory to target the scope of refundable taxes
Jointly with U.S. importers or cooperative customs clearance firms, comprehensively comb through all export records to the U.S. since February 2025, establish a detailed account and focus on it:

• Date of import, customs declaration number
• IEEPA tariff payment amount
• Current status of customs declaration (not cleared/cleared not finalized/finalized)
• Tax Payment Voucher Number

Three core credentials are missing: Customs Declaration Records (Entry Records), CBP 7501 Import Declaration, Tax Payment Vouchers (Bank Transfer Records or CBP Receipts).

Step 2: Categorize and match corresponding tax refund paths
According to Part III above, select the corresponding path by the status of the customs declaration. Customs declarations with larger amounts that have not yet been cleared are recommended to be prioritized as the refund process is simpler and faster.

Step 3: Proactive articulation to prevent the risk of entitlement retention
Immediately review trade contracts with U.S. importers and respond in three scenarios:

• If the contract stipulates that "the Chinese seller bears the customs duty": send a formal letter to the U.S. importer, clearly claiming the ownership of the refunded principal and interest, requesting it to cooperate in submitting the application for refund, and promising to return the refund upon receipt.
• If the contract stipulates that "the U.S. buyer bears the customs duty": use the cooperation in providing tax refund data as a bargaining chip, negotiate with the buyer on the tax refund share, and sign a supplemental agreement.
• If a U.S. subsidiary of a Chinese company is used as the importer: the tax refund is attributed to the parent company through an internal agreement.

A regular communication mechanism is also established to track the progress of tax refunds on a regular basis.

Step 4: Leveraging specialization to deal with complex games
This tax refund involves many levels of U.S. customs rules, judicial procedures, etc., and the complexity of the practical operation is high. It is recommended to entrust the assistance of professional organizations familiar with U.S. international trade law can help you:

• Precise Explanation of CBP Policy Details
• Avoiding operational misunderstandings (e.g., perfecting the chain of evidence to avoid dismissal due to incomplete documents)
• Timely tracking of policy changes and judicial developments

V. Three major risk warnings, don't let the money fly

1. Statute of limitations risk
Strictly adhere to the filing timelines set by CBP, especially the 180-day protest period. Miss the window and the money is really gone.

2. Audit risk
Complete all credentials in advance to ensure that the customs declaration information and tax payment records are consistent with the tax refund application. Incorrect information will lead to audit failure.

3. Policy risks
The United States Department of Justice may file an appeal to delay the refund. The Government may also attempt to reduce the amount of refunds by arguing that "businesses have passed on the cost of tariffs to consumers".

VI. Long-term layout: more than a tax rebate, a strong line of defense

The rebate is a good opportunity to "bleed back", but you can't just focus on short-term gains. The Supreme Court's decision denied the legitimacy of the IEEPA tariffs, but did not eliminate the U.S. systemic trade barriers. The Trump administration has stated that it will introduce new global tariffs through other legal means, and alternative tools such as Section 301 and Section 232 may be activated at any time.

It is recommended to take this opportunity to optimize the trade compliance system with the United States:

• Strengthen research on U.S. trade policy, customs rules
• Establishment of a standing compliance review mechanism to standardize the customs declaration process
• Diversified market layout to reduce dependence on the U.S. market

VII. What can we do for you?

In the face of the 166 billion U.S. dollars tax refund window, and the complex business and fiscal issues in the operation of U.S. companies, you need not just a representative agency, but a professional partner who really understands the U.S. market and can help you avoid risks and save costs.

The value that Enterprise Finance earnings can bring to you:

It allows you to quickly complete a self-check of your tax refund eligibility and not miss out on every tax refund due.
We will help you join hands with U.S. importers or customs clearance houses to comprehensively sort out all export records to the U.S. after February 2025, establish a detailed ledger, and accurately target refundable batches. We will help you verify the customs declaration status of each shipment (uncleared/cleared not finalized/finalized), match the most appropriate refund path, and ensure that you don't miss any money due to the complexity of the customs declaration status.

Make your eRefund system enrollment smooth and clear your collection hurdles.
CBP has made it clear that all refunds must be issued electronically, but fewer than 10% of the 330,000 have completed registration. We will guide you or your U.S. importer through the process of setting up the ACE system to ensure that when the system goes live in mid-to-late April, your account is "ready" and the money is available.

Allows you to properly process all types of customs declarations and claim tax refunds on the right path.
For unliquidated declarations, we will assist in filing through the Post Customs Correction (PSC) process; for liquidated unfinalized declarations, we will file a formal Protest (CBP Form 19) within the 180-day protest period; and for finalized declarations, we will evaluate the feasibility of joining a class action. For finalized declarations, we will evaluate the feasibility of joining a class action. In short, there is a professional solution for every type of customs declaration.

Make your relationship with the U.S. importer clear and smooth, and guard against the interception of rights.
We will help you review your existing trade contracts and develop an optimal tax refund protection program based on the actual bearer of the duty. Whether it's sending a formal letter to claim your rights, negotiating a percentage share, or clarifying attribution through an internal agreement, we'll follow through to ensure that the refund is safely returned to your pocket.

Gives you a ready-to-use Native American backup.
We are inU.S. Branch OfficeWe have a team that is familiar with local customs rules and tax regulations. When you encounter tax audit problems, need to communicate with CBP, or even need to improve the compliance operation of the U.S. company, we are able to respond in a timely manner and give you practical support.

If you still have questions about the $166 billion in tariff refunds, or need a professional team to help you deal with tax refunds, please feel free to contact me (phone: 13045886252, micro-signal: qcy20251218). Let us use our nearly ten years of experience serving the U.S. market to help you secure this windfall.