Automate Tariff Refunds AI Files Your IEEPA Claims Fast

IEEPA tariff refunds stem from a Court of International Trade ruling that challenged the legal basis for tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Importers who paid IEEPA duties on goods that were subsequently re-exported, used in manufacturing for export, or destroyed may qualify for refunds through the duty drawback program. Eligibility depends on shipment timing, HTS classifications, and how the goods were ultimately used or disposed of after import.

Zollback automates tariff refunds by ingesting your trade documents in any format, using AI to parse and structure the data, then running proprietary optimization algorithms to calculate the maximum refundable duties across all eligible import-export combinations. In-house licensed customs brokers verify every claim before it is electronically filed with CBP via certified ABI software. The entire process takes 10–15 working days rather than the 9–12 months typical of manual providers.

Zollback completes its end-to-end process — document ingestion, eligibility assessment, optimization, compliance review, and CBP filing — in 10–15 working days. The actual refund deposit timeline is determined by CBP after the claim is submitted. Zollback's automated approach significantly reduces the time on your side of the process compared to the 9–12 month industry standard for manual drawback providers.

Typical documentation includes commercial invoices, bills of lading, customs entry summaries (CBP Form 7501), and export records such as export declarations or proof of destruction. Depending on the drawback type, manufacturing records may also be required. Zollback accepts these documents in any format — PDF, CSV, or ERP export — and uses AI to parse and structure everything automatically, eliminating the manual preparation typically required.

Duty drawback and IEEPA tariff refund claims have historically been inaccessible to smaller importers because legacy providers only serve large enterprise clients. Zollback's automation lowers the cost to serve enough to profitably handle companies of all sizes, including businesses under $50M in revenue. Performance-based pricing — no upfront fees, only pay when refunds are recovered — removes the financial barrier for smaller importers.

Duty drawback is a long-standing U.S. government program that refunds import tariffs when goods are re-exported, used in manufacturing for export, or destroyed. The IEEPA tariff refund opportunity arose specifically from a Court of International Trade ruling on tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In practice, many IEEPA tariff refund claims are filed through the duty drawback mechanism, meaning the same automated platform and filing process applies to both.