UPS, FedEx and DHL tariff refunds: getting back duties you paid on a parcel

Millions of the 53 million IEEPA entries were informal entries for parcels — CBP's own declaration puts informal entries at 63% of the total. When UPS, FedEx or DHL cleared your package and billed you the duty before delivery, one of two things is on the entry: the carrier was the importer of record, or you were (the carriers' notices as reported by Supply Chain Dive, April 21, 2026). Check the entry documents to identify the importer of record, then ask the carrier about its refund process.

How the carriers are handling it

Under CBP's CAPE process only the importer of record or the broker that filed the entry may submit a refund declaration. For carrier-cleared parcels that broker is the carrier. CBP's CAPE process accepts an entry only while it is unliquidated or within 80 days of liquidation, and CBP told the court on March 6, 2026: "Informal entries liquidate immediately upon the importer paying the duties due on the entry." Ask the carrier whether your shipment still qualifies. What the carriers' own pages said when we last read them:

• FedEx: on September 16, 2026 FedEx's page described a dedicated portal (ieepa-refunds.fedex.com) where a customer can check refund eligibility and status without a login (not re-read since).
• UPS: on September 16, 2026 UPS's page described its IEEPA tariff refund request process, with a FAQ on which shipments qualify and how customers are paid (not re-read since).
• DHL Express: we could not read DHL's refund page on October 8, 2026; ask DHL's customer service.

Details, cut-off dates and fee treatment differ by carrier and change over time; each carrier's own page is the source of truth, and we record on the carrier's profile what it stated and when we checked.

What you need

1. The tracking number and the duty invoice (the carrier's bill for "duties and taxes" or "import fees").
2. Proof you paid it (card statement or the paid invoice).
3. The same payment method or account the carrier can refund to.

What to expect

CBP pays IEEPA refunds with interest, generally within 60–90 days of an accepted declaration. The carrier then processes its side. Amounts on a single parcel are usually small — the duty was a percentage of the declared value — but the interest and the principle are the same as for a corporate importer.

What this page does not cover

• Duties paid on goods you bought from a US retailer: those went to the retailer's entries; see Will I get a tariff refund check?.
• Section 232 or 301 duties (steel, aluminum, autos, most China lists): not refunded.
• Parcels cleared by a broker other than the carrier: ask that broker; the comparison page lists brokers that state they handle parcel refunds.

General information from public sources, not legal advice. CBP's rules checked October 8, 2026; the carriers' pages were last read September 16, 2026.