U.S. Customs and Border Protection has launched the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) program, a voluntary refund scheme for duties levied under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Importers of Record and customs brokers must file claims through the ACE portal, and the first phase, which began April 20, targets unliquidated entities such as Apple to recover some costs.

Apple paid roughly $3.2 billion in tariffs after the Trump administration imposed reciprocal duties on Chinese‑origin components, with rates ranging from 26 % on Indian parts to 46 % on Vietnamese ones. The Supreme Court declared the tariffs illegal in February 2026, but CBP still estimates refunds will take two to three months once full documentation is submitted for the company's recovery process.

Because the refund cycle cannot be completed before Apple’s April 30 earnings call, the company will not see any cash back until at least July 2026. Rough calculations suggest roughly $2.5 billion of the original outlay could be returned, leaving a sizable hit on the tech giant’s balance sheet for the current fiscal year and adds pressure to its profitability metrics moving forward.