“How long until I get my money?” It’s the first question every importer asks, and the honest answer is: it depends on which recovery path your entries follow. The difference between the fastest and slowest paths can be measured in years, not weeks.
Here’s a realistic, no-spin timeline for each of the four recovery paths, starting from the moment you first make contact with an advisory firm or begin the process on your own. We’ll also map the internal milestones so you know exactly what’s happening at each stage and why.
The Shared Front End: Assessment and Preparation
Regardless of which recovery path your entries follow, the first phase is the same: assessment, data gathering, and preparation. This phase is where most importers either build momentum or lose it.
Week 1: Initial Contact and Intake
Days 1-2: You request your Impact Assessment and submit basic company information. Same-day acknowledgment, follow-up questions within 24 hours.
Days 3-5: Discovery call with your assessment analyst. You discuss your import profile, identify your customs broker(s), and outline your priorities. If you haven’t already, you send a data request to your broker.
Key variable: How quickly you initiate the process. The first 48 hours set the pace for everything that follows.
Weeks 1-3: Data Collection
Days 5-15: Your customs broker pulls ACE data including the ES-003 report and entry-level detail. Multiple brokers add time — each needs to respond independently.
Key variable: Broker responsiveness. Some brokers deliver data within 48 hours. Others take two weeks. If your broker is slow, follow up aggressively and consider starting the assessment with internal records.
Weeks 2-3: Assessment Delivery
Days 10-20: Your assessment team classifies entries by liquidation status, calculates protest deadlines, models recovery scenarios, and delivers your Impact Assessment report.
Key variable: Data completeness. Clean, complete broker data accelerates analysis. Incomplete data means more iteration and a wider range in projections.
Weeks 3-4: Decision and Engagement
Days 15-25: You review the assessment, discuss options internally (see how to present IEEPA recovery to your board), and decide on your recovery strategy. If you choose professional advisory, engagement terms are agreed and work begins.
Key variable: Internal decision speed. Some organizations decide in a day. Others need board approval. The cost of deliberation delay is real — every week of delay pushes your CAPE filing later.
Front-end total: 3-5 weeks from first contact to active recovery work beginning.
Path 1: Post-Summary Correction (PSC) Timeline
PSC is the fastest government recovery path, available for entries that haven’t yet been liquidated.
Timeline from Filing to Payment
| Milestone | Timeline from PSC Filing |
|---|---|
| PSC filed by broker through ACE | Day 0 |
| CBP reviews and processes correction | 2-8 weeks |
| Entry reliquidated without IEEPA duties | 2-12 weeks |
| Refund processed and issued | 4-16 weeks |
| Payment received | 1-4 months |
Total Timeline: First Contact to Payment
Best case: 2 months (fast data, fast decision, quick CBP processing)
Expected case: 3-5 months
Worst case: 6-8 months (slow data, CBP processing delays)
Key Risks to This Timeline
- Entry could liquidate between data pull and PSC filing, closing the PSC window
- CBP may request additional documentation before processing
- System delays in ACE or CAPE could slow processing
PSC is available only for unliquidated entries. If your entries liquidate before the PSC is filed, you’ll shift to the protest path.
Path 2: CBP Protest Timeline
Formal protest under 19 U.S.C. Section 1514 is the standard path for entries that have been liquidated but are within the 180-day protest window.
Timeline from Filing to Payment
| Milestone | Timeline from Protest Filing |
|---|---|
| Protest filed with CBP | Day 0 |
| CBP assigns protest to reviewer | 1-6 months |
| CBP processes and grants protest | 6-24 months |
| Entry reliquidated | 6-30 months |
| Refund processed and issued | 8-36 months |
| Payment received | 8-36 months |
With CAPE System Processing
CBP has indicated the CAPE system will handle IEEPA-specific refund processing, potentially accelerating protest resolution for IEEPA cases. If CAPE processes protests as intended:
| Milestone | Optimistic CAPE Timeline |
|---|---|
| CAPE declaration submitted | Day 0 |
| CAPE validates and queues claim | 1-4 weeks |
| CBP processes through CAPE | 2-12 months |
| Refund issued | 3-18 months |
| Payment received | 3-18 months |
Total Timeline: First Contact to Payment
Best case (CAPE accelerated): 4-6 months
Expected case: 12-24 months
Worst case: 24-40 months (CBP delays, denial requiring appeal)
Key Risks to This Timeline
- CBP staffing constraints — approximately 2,500 staff processing 330,000+ importers’ claims
- CAPE system delays or technical issues
- Protest denial requiring escalation to accelerated disposition or CIT
- Queue position — later filers wait longer
Path 3: CIT Litigation Timeline
Court of International Trade litigation is the path for entries that are finally liquidated and past the 180-day protest window, or for protests that CBP has denied.
Timeline from Filing to Payment
| Milestone | Timeline from CIT Filing |
|---|---|
| Complaint filed with CIT | Day 0 |
| Government responds | 2-4 months |
| Discovery and briefing | 4-12 months |
| Court ruling | 8-18 months |
| CBP implements court order | 10-24 months |
| Refund processed and issued | 12-30 months |
| Payment received | 12-30 months |
Total Timeline: First Contact to Payment
Best case: 15 months (streamlined CIT process leveraging existing IEEPA precedent)
Expected case: 18-30 months
Worst case: 30-48 months (complex litigation, government appeals, CBP implementation delays)
Key Factors Affecting This Timeline
The CIT litigation path is slower and more expensive than administrative paths, but it benefits from strong legal precedent. The Supreme Court ruling is clear, and the CIT’s March 4 order already directed CBP to process refunds. Individual CIT cases for entries outside the administrative window should be relatively straightforward — but “straightforward” in litigation still takes time.
Legal costs are a significant factor: typically $15,000-$75,000+ in trade attorney fees depending on case complexity.
Path 4: Immediate Capital (Claim Sale) Timeline
Claim assignment — selling your refund rights for immediate cash — is the fastest path to payment, period.
Timeline from Agreement to Payment
| Milestone | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Claim purchase agreement signed | Day 0 |
| Due diligence review | 3-7 business days |
| Final terms confirmed | 5-10 business days |
| Payment wired | 10-21 business days |
| Payment received | 2-4 weeks |
Total Timeline: First Contact to Payment
Best case: 4-5 weeks (fast assessment, fast decision, clean documentation)
Expected case: 6-8 weeks
Worst case: 10-12 weeks (complex portfolio, documentation issues requiring resolution)
Key Factors Affecting This Timeline
- Documentation completeness — clean, well-organized data speeds due diligence
- Portfolio complexity — straightforward portfolios close faster
- Negotiation time — how quickly you reach agreement on terms
- Legal review — both sides need to review the assignment agreement
The trade-off: speed comes at a price. Claim purchasers typically pay 75-90% of face value. The government filing vs. immediate capital comparison helps you evaluate whether the speed premium is worth it for your situation.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Metric | PSC | Protest | CIT | Immediate Capital |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earliest possible payment | 2 months | 4 months | 15 months | 4 weeks |
| Expected payment | 3-5 months | 12-24 months | 18-30 months | 6-8 weeks |
| Recovery percentage | 100% + interest | 100% + interest | 100% + interest (minus legal fees) | 75-90% |
| Your time investment | Low | Moderate | High | Very Low |
| Eligibility | Unliquidated entries only | Liquidated within 180 days | Any entry | Any entry |
| Risk of delay | Low | Moderate | High | Very Low |
How to Accelerate Your Timeline
Regardless of which path you follow, these actions compress your timeline:
1. Start Data Gathering Before Deciding
Don’t wait until you’ve committed to a recovery strategy to request broker data. Start the data request on day one — it takes the same amount of time regardless of what you eventually decide, and having data in hand accelerates every subsequent step. See our data preparation guide.
2. File Protective Protests Immediately
For any liquidated entries within the 180-day window, file protective protests now. You can always pursue other paths later, but if the window closes while you’re deciding, you lose the option permanently.
3. Prepare for CAPE Day One
The CAPE system will process claims sequentially. Being ready to file on launch day — data validated, documentation complete, filing prepared — puts you months ahead of importers who start preparing after launch.
4. Make Decisions Quickly
Every week of internal deliberation is a week added to your total timeline. Set a decision deadline and hold to it. The one-page executive action plan can help your team align quickly.
5. Consider Splitting Your Portfolio
You don’t have to choose one path for all entries. The optimal strategy for most importers is a split approach — PSC for unliquidated entries, protests for recently liquidated entries, and potentially immediate capital for entries approaching deadlines or with documentation challenges.
The Timeline Killers: What Causes Delays
Understanding what causes delays helps you avoid them. Here are the most common timeline killers, ranked by frequency and impact.
Delay 1: Slow Broker Response (Impact: 1-3 Weeks)
The single most common delay. Your customs broker has other priorities, other clients making IEEPA requests, and potentially limited staff. If your initial data request doesn’t get a response within 48 hours, follow up by phone. If you still don’t get a response within a week, escalate — every day waiting for data is a day added to your timeline.
Prevention: Send the broker request email on day one. If using multiple brokers, send requests simultaneously, not sequentially.
Delay 2: Internal Decision Paralysis (Impact: 2-8 Weeks)
Assessment is complete, numbers are clear, but no one makes a decision. This is especially common in larger organizations where board approval is required and board meetings happen monthly. The result: weeks of delay while the CAPE queue fills and protest deadlines approach.
Prevention: Set a decision deadline before the assessment begins. Prepare the board presentation in advance so you can present immediately upon assessment delivery. Consider requesting an expedited board vote via written consent if the next meeting is too far away.
Delay 3: CAPE Declaration Rejection (Impact: 1-4 Weeks)
A rejected declaration goes to the back of the queue upon resubmission. The time to fix the error, re-validate, and resubmit can be 1-2 weeks. Plus the new queue position adds additional processing time.
Prevention: Validate data against ACE records before filing. Triple-check entry numbers and duty amounts. Use the CAPE batch template exactly as specified.
Delay 4: Missing Documentation (Impact: 2-6 Weeks)
CBP requests additional information through CAPE’s “Additional Information Required” status. If you can’t produce the requested documents quickly, your claim sits in limbo. The 30-day response window means you won’t lose the claim, but slow response means slow processing.
Prevention: Organize required documentation before filing, not after. Have commercial invoices, payment confirmations, and broker records accessible and indexed.
Delay 5: Protest Filing Errors (Impact: 4-12 Weeks)
Protests denied for procedural deficiencies require either correction and refiling (if still within the 180-day window) or CIT appeal (if the window has closed). Either path adds months.
Prevention: Have protests reviewed by someone with experience in CBP protest procedures before filing. If using a trade attorney, their review adds cost but prevents far more expensive corrections.
Real-World Timeline Examples
Example 1: Small Electronics Importer ($180,000 in IEEPA Duties)
- 22 entries, single broker, all unliquidated
- Week 1: Assessment requested, broker data received in 48 hours
- Week 2: Assessment completed, PSC strategy recommended
- Week 3: PSCs filed for all entries
- Weeks 4-12: CBP processes corrections
- Payment: Month 3 — full $180,000 + interest
Example 2: Mid-Size Apparel Importer ($850,000 in IEEPA Duties)
- 65 entries, two brokers, mixed liquidation statuses
- Weeks 1-3: Assessment completed, split strategy recommended
- Week 4: PSCs filed on 30 unliquidated entries ($400,000)
- Week 4: Protests filed on 25 recently liquidated entries ($320,000)
- Week 5: 10 entries near deadline sold for immediate capital ($110,000 → received $93,500)
- Months 2-4: PSC refunds received ($400,000 + interest)
- Months 8-18: Protest refunds received ($320,000 + interest)
- First payment: Week 7 (immediate capital) | Full resolution: Month 18
Example 3: Large Industrial Importer ($3.2 million in IEEPA Duties)
- 200+ entries, four brokers, entries at all stages
- Weeks 1-5: Assessment completed across all broker data
- Weeks 5-8: PSCs filed on unliquidated entries ($1.4M)
- Weeks 5-8: Protests filed on entries within window ($1.1M)
- Week 8: CIT litigation initiated for entries past window ($400K)
- Week 6: Immediate capital on subset ($300K → received $255K)
- First payment: Week 8 (immediate capital) | Full resolution: Month 24-30
Understanding the Interest Component
Every government-path timeline includes an interest component that partially offsets the cost of waiting. Here’s how it works in practice.
How Interest Accumulates
Under 19 U.S.C. Section 1505, interest on refunded duties accrues from the date of duty deposit at a rate set quarterly by the IRS. The current rate is approximately 5% annually — which is meaningful on large balances but typically below most companies’ cost of capital.
Interest Calculation Example
For a $500,000 IEEPA duty payment made in June 2025:
| Refund Date | Interest Duration | Interest Amount | Total Refund |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 12 months | ~$25,000 | $525,000 |
| December 2026 | 18 months | ~$37,500 | $537,500 |
| June 2027 | 24 months | ~$50,000 | $550,000 |
| December 2027 | 30 months | ~$62,500 | $562,500 |
Interest vs. Opportunity Cost
The critical comparison: is the statutory interest rate higher or lower than your cost of capital? For most businesses, it’s lower. If your WACC is 10% and the statutory rate is 5%, every year of government-path delay costs you approximately 5% net — the difference between what you’d earn deploying the capital and what CBP pays you in interest. See the CFO guide for a complete framework on this calculation.
Your Timeline Starts When You Start
Every day you haven’t contacted a broker, requested an assessment, or filed a protective protest is a day added to your total timeline. The CBP doesn’t wait for you. The CAPE queue fills while you deliberate. Protest deadlines expire while you think about it.
Get your free Impact Assessment →
The assessment gives you your specific timelines — not generic ranges, but entry-by-entry projections based on your actual data. Request yours today and replace uncertainty with a concrete recovery roadmap. The clock is already running.
