Flexport Duty Drawback Alternative Recover 15–20% More in Refunds

Flexport offers duty drawback as part of its broader freight forwarding platform. Zollback is purpose-built exclusively for duty drawback optimization. The key difference is methodology: Zollback uses proprietary algorithms to evaluate every possible import-export matching combination, recovering 15–20% more than providers relying on manual or semi-manual matching methods. Zollback also processes claims in 10–15 working days compared to the 9–12 month industry standard, and serves companies of all sizes under performance-based pricing with no upfront fees.

Duty drawback is a U.S. government program that refunds import tariffs when goods are re-exported, used in manufacturing for export, or destroyed. Up to 99% of certain import duties and fees paid on eligible goods can be recovered. Despite this, an estimated 80% of eligible refunds — roughly $11–15 billion per year nationally — go unclaimed, largely because the matching process is complex and most companies are unaware they qualify.

Duty drawback is a combinatorial math problem: matching millions of import records to export records across different HTS codes, accounting methods, and regulatory time limits. Manual providers use Excel-based workflows and legacy desktop software, evaluating only a subset of possible combinations. Zollback's algorithms compute every valid permutation and select the optimal match set, consistently finding refund amounts that manual methods leave behind.

Zollback processes claims in 10–15 working days from document ingestion to CBP filing. The industry standard with legacy providers is 9–12 months. Actual refund deposit timing depends on CBP processing, but Zollback's end-to-end automation compresses the preparation and filing phase by approximately 95% compared to manual workflows.

Yes. Most legacy duty drawback providers focus exclusively on enterprise clients because the economics of manual processing require large claim volumes to be profitable. Zollback's automation lowers the cost-to-serve significantly, making it the first drawback solution that profitably serves companies across all revenue sizes — including SMBs under $50M in annual revenue who are typically turned away by traditional providers.

Zollback supports all major drawback types: manufacturing drawback (raw materials imported and used in goods subsequently exported), unused merchandise drawback (imported goods re-exported in the same condition), rejected merchandise drawback (defective or non-conforming imports returned), and destroyed goods drawback. An automated eligibility assessment identifies which types apply to your specific import and export activity before any commitment is made.