Last checked
Dated figures
Duty drawback and tariff refund statistics
Every figure on this page shows its source and the date it describes. We review every figure each quarter, and sooner when a source publishes new data.
About 3 minutes on a sample file. Your email and name open it. We never ask for your ACE login or bank details.
One row per figure, with source URL and as-of date.
Drawback paid
Drawback: refunds paid, claims and filers
Some official drawback figures are several years old. We show them as they are and say so, rather than estimate.
About $1 billion
a year in drawback refunds paid by CBP.
As of December 2019, the latest official figure
GAO-20-182[1]
| Figure | Value | Period or as-of date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average drawback processed | $896 million a year | 2011 to 2018 | DHS OIG, OIG-20-07[2] |
| Drawback claims filed | About 12,200 a year on average (2007 to 2016); 11,135 in 2007, 12,459 in 2016 and 11,690 in 2017 | Calendar years 2007 to 2017 | CBP regulatory impact analysis[3] |
| Value of drawback refunds | $771.9 million a year on average; about $63,100 per claim | Calendar years 2007 to 2016 | CBP regulatory impact analysis[3] |
| Companies that filed any drawback claim | 9,017 (4,888 filed electronically, 4,129 on paper) | 2007 to 2016 | CBP regulatory impact analysis[3] |
| Claims waiting for CBP review | More than 35,000, worth about $2 billion | August 23, 2019 | GAO-20-182[1] |
| Drawback refunds CBP denied as improper | $163.4 million | Fiscal years 2020 to 2023 | GAO-20-182, recommendation follow-up[1] |
The $896 million and $771.9 million averages come from different reviews and cover different years.[2][3] Don't add or compare them directly.
Who claims
Who claims drawback
Drawback works in any industry that imports and then exports, returns or destroys goods.
Companies that import and export
| Figure | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Companies that both imported and exported | 87,016 | 2024 | U.S. Census Bureau company profile, Table 1g, released May 5, 2026[4] |
| Their imports | $2,700.6 billion, 82.7% of all U.S. imports | 2024 | Census[4] |
| Wholesalers, share of those companies | 42.5%, by count | 2024 | Census[4] |
| Manufacturers, share of those companies' imports | 44.4%, by value | 2024 | Census[4] |
9,017 companies filed drawback from 2007 to 2016.[3] 87,016 companies imported and exported in 2024.[4] The two counts cover different periods, so we don't state a ratio between them.
Who claimed drawback
CBP drew a random sample of 375 companies that filed drawback claims from 2007 to 2016 and looked up each one's main line of business.[3]
| Figure | Share of the sample | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wholesalers | 41.3% | Claimants that filed 2007 to 2016 | CBP regulatory impact analysis, Table 1, November 20, 2018[3] |
| Manufacturers | 29.3% | Same | CBP[3] |
| Retailers | 8.8% | Same | CBP[3] |
| Apparel, footwear and textile businesses (our grouping) | 18.7%, the largest group | Same | CBP[3] |
| Aerospace or defense manufacturers (our grouping) | None | Same | CBP[3] |
How CBP's sample was grouped
CBP lists the sample by industry code and notes, "No industry makes up more than five percent of the sample." The apparel, footwear and textile figure is our grouping of those codes, across mills, makers, wholesalers and stores. The sample counts companies, not dollars, and it is the latest industry breakdown of drawback claimants we found.[3]
What they claimed
Most drawback is for unused merchandise: goods exported or destroyed without being used in the U.S.[3]
Tariff rate
The effective U.S. tariff rate in 2026
6.7%
Average effective U.S. tariff rate.
As of July 2026
Penn Wharton Budget Model, September 9, 2026[5]
| Figure | Value | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average effective U.S. tariff rate | 2.3% | January 2025 | Penn Wharton Budget Model[5] |
| Average effective tariff rate on imports from China | 22.8% | July 2026 | Penn Wharton Budget Model[5] |
Not every duty is drawback-eligible. Drawback by tariff program shows which are, program by program.
Drawback use
How large importers use drawback
The most recent survey we found was published in 2019. We found no 2026 survey of drawback use.
In a 2019 drawback benchmarking report, based on a 2018 survey of more than 75 leading U.S. importers:[6]
- Five of the nine companies that don't claim drawback and gave a reason (56%) said it is too complex.[6]
IEEPA and CAPE
IEEPA duty and CAPE refunds
Most IEEPA refunds go through CBP's CAPE process.
| Figure | Value | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| IEEPA duty collected | About $166 billion, from about 330,000 importers | CBP court filing, September 15, 2026[8] | Reuters reported about $166 billion on March 6, 2026[9] |
| Certified to Treasury (includes interest) | About $122 billion | September 11, 2026 | CBP statistics[7] |
"Certified" means CBP has sent a refund to Treasury for payment. It is not the same as paid.
CAPE Phase 3 was scheduled to open October 6, 2026, for Court of International Trade plaintiffs only (as of September 17, 2026).[10]
CAPE and drawback on the same entriesAI survey
What enterprise trade leaders say about AI
AAEI and a trade-software vendor surveyed 230 trade leaders at companies with $1 billion or more in revenue in July and August 2026.[11]
| Finding | Share |
|---|---|
| Would adopt AI that gives "verifiable, source-backed evidence" | 78%[11] |
Published September 23, 2026. The sample covers large companies only.
Data gaps
What official data is missing
As of October 4, 2026, we could not find these in any official source:
- CBP drawback totals, claim counts, claimant counts or processing times for fiscal 2024 to 2026. CBP's trade statistics page covers fiscal 2018 to 2022 and lists no drawback figures.[12]
- Drawback claimants or refunds by industry for any year after 2016. CBP's sample in Who claims drawback is the latest we found.
- A current count of licensed customs brokers.
- A count of importers that paid IEEPA duty and have not filed in CAPE.
- A count of IEEPA refund suits at the Court of International Trade. Published counts conflict, so we don't publish one.
- Published premiums for the bond that accelerated payment requires.
- A government estimate of how much drawback goes unclaimed each year. The figures in circulation trace to vendor marketing.
When an official source publishes any of these, we add it here with its date.
Citation
How to cite this page
Please cite the original source shown with each figure.
To cite this page: NexQloud Drawback, "Duty drawback and tariff refund statistics," https://nexqlouddrawback.com/data/, with the date you accessed it.
Get started
Read less. Run the demo.
Run the demo on a sample file. About three minutes.
-
01
Upload one quarter.
Entry summaries, invoices and export records.
WhoYou
-
02
AI drafts your claim.
It ties each export to its import, to the cent.
WhoThe agent
-
03
Your broker files. CBP pays you.
The refund goes directly to your bank account.
WhoA licensed broker
Your email and name open the demo. We never ask for your ACE login or bank details.
Ready now? Start a claimIEEPA refunds
Got your IEEPA refund? Drawback is the one that repeats.
We check every entry for CAPE first, the order CBP recommends.[13] Drawback can recur every year.
Which tariffs qualify?
For partners
Be the firm that finds your clients a second refund.
Brokers earn the drawback fee. CPA firms bill their own work. Refund firms keep their CAPE clients. Design partners help shape it before launch.
No fee to apply. We reply within 2 business days.
What is duty drawback?
A refund of up to 99% of the duties, taxes and fees you paid on imports that you later export or destroy, or that went into products you export.[17] It works in any industry.
When can I start?
We open to importers in waves, in the order of the waitlist. The demo shows the whole product with sample data today, and partners can apply now.
What will you need from me?
One quarter of records to start: entry summaries, invoices, packing lists, shipping documents, and export, return or destruction records.
How long until CBP pays?
With accelerated payment, CBP can pay before the claim is final. Its only published timing, from December 2018: processing "will generally take place within 3 weeks of the claim resubmission date."[18]
Can I use my own customs broker?
Yes. Invite your own broker, or use one we name before you sign. Your POA stays with your broker, and your broker sets its own fee.
What if CBP pays less than claimed?
The fee follows what CBP actually pays. If CBP later recovers part of a payment, the fee is reduced to match.
Do you file CAPE claims?
No. We check every entry for CAPE first and flag what belongs there. You or your broker files CAPE. Refund firms work through one of you.