$35.5 billion becomes $25 billion—this $10 billion “accidental mistake” is a bit interesting. The CBP data query system should be upgraded.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on Tuesday that approximately $20.6 billion in duty refunds are being issued to successfully approved importers through a new portal. However, the U.S. government acknowledged significant errors in previous reports, with early processed refund amounts far below expectations. Two weeks ago, the U.S. stated it was processing over $35.5 billion in refund applications. CBP official Lord clarified that this figure was "overestimated by about $10 billion," with the actual amount around $25 billion, due to an unintentional error in data queries. As of May 22, CBP's refund processing system Cape has received about $85 billion in potential and certified refund applications. The $20.6 billion represents funds that have entered the final disbursement stage, including interest and principal of tariffs. CBP is processing over 53 million customs declarations, with refunds totaling up to $166 billion.