Brokers

Do I need a licensed customs broker to file duty drawback?

Not if you file on your own account, but you must then file through a CBP-authorized electronic system yourself, which is why many claimants use a broker.

  • Filed by a licensed broker⁠†
  • Published fees, charged after CBP pays
  • Sealed on AMD SEV-SNP

Your options:

  • File yourself. An importer or exporter acting on its own account needs no license.

    You'd become an ABI filer: a letter of intent naming your software, a filer code, your expected volume and certification testing with CBP, plus software that handles drawback (entry type 47).

  • Use a broker. A licensed customs broker holding your power of attorney can sign and file for you.

  • Use an outside preparer. Preparing a drawback claim for someone else is customs business, which requires a customs broker license.

    CBP has said "a tool does not constitute a 'person'," so the decisions belong to a licensed broker.

With Duty Recovery AI, a licensed customs broker, ours or yours, reviews every line and files.

If your own trade team wants to prepare claims, the in-house plan gives it the software, and your broker files.

  • 19 CFR 111.1, 111.2⁠[1]⁠[2]
  • 19 CFR 143.1, 143.2, 143.5⁠[3]
  • 19 CFR 190.6, 190.51⁠[4]⁠[5]
  • CBP ruling H350722, Jan 16, 2026⁠[6]
Also asked
  • Do I need a customs broker or advisor to file?
  • Can I file for duty drawback myself?
  • Do I need a licensed customs broker to file duty drawback myself?

Written by the Duty Recovery AI team from the primary sources linked on this page.

Not legal advice. Duty Recovery AI is not a government agency.

Duty Recovery AI is software used by licensed customs brokers.

Related

Your broker or ours

All 10 questions

Get started

Read less. Run the demo.

Run the demo on a sample file. About three minutes.

  1. 01

    Upload one quarter.

    Entry summaries, invoices and export records.

    WhoYou

  2. 02

    AI drafts your claim.

    It ties each export to its import, to the cent.

    WhoThe agent

  3. 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.

Book a discovery call
Ready now? Start a claim

IEEPA refunds

Got your IEEPA refund? Drawback is the one that repeats.

We check every entry for CAPE first, the order CBP recommends.⁠[7] Drawback can recur every year.

Which tariffs qualify?

Section 301 duties, the Section 122 surcharge and the Section 338 duties on Canada all qualify.⁠[8]⁠[9]⁠[10]

How CAPE and drawback fit together

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.

Apply to partner

No fee to apply. We reply within 2 business days.

Questions

Top questions

All questions
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.⁠[11] 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."⁠[12]

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.

Demo

Run the demo

Watch the agent turn a sample file into a claim folder. About 3 minutes.

We'll email you the link and add you to the waitlist. Unsubscribe anytime. We never ask for your ACE login or bank details.