The language behind the workflow.
Short, plain-English definitions for the customs and tariff-recovery terms that appear most often in educational and commercial pages across DutyClaims.
Prepared by the DutyClaims Research Team and kept current with visible review dates, cited source material.
Core terms
Definitions built to support guides, blog posts, and higher-intent solution pages without drifting into jargon-heavy copy.
Liquidation
Liquidation is one of the most important timeline markers in customs work because it often determines how long a team has to challenge an entry decision.
CBP Protest
A CBP protest is one of the main mechanisms importers use to challenge certain entry decisions, but the practical work is deadline and evidence driven.
Entry Summary
The entry summary is one of the foundational documents in a refund workflow because it ties the issue back to a concrete customs record.
ACE
ACE data usually gives import teams the first structured view of entries, duties, and liquidation status when a recovery question surfaces.
Importer of Record
The importer of record is one of the anchors of the customs file, which is why the role appears early in almost every serious refund workflow.
Tariff Recovery
Tariff recovery covers a range of filing paths — protests, drawback, IEEPA claims, and more. Which one applies depends on your entries, deadlines, and evidence.
Guides that use these terms
Jump from the terminology into the longer operational guides that explain how the workflow actually runs.
What Is an IEEPA Tariff Refund? A Working Guide for Importers
IEEPA refund questions often start with complex legal news, but the real work is about your records. Here is how to organize your data and what to look for first.
Tariff Refund Claim Documents: What to Pull Before the Clock Gets Tight
Nothing slows down a refund review like missing records. Here is the document stack you need to keep things moving fast.
How to Work With Your Customs Broker on a Refund Claim
Coordinating with your broker is all about staying organized. The goal is to provide a clean packet, ask better questions, and protect your relationship.
Duty Recovery for Finance Teams: A Playbook for Locked-Up Working Capital
Finance teams usually enter the workflow once duties feel material to cash flow. The trick is moving from exposure to a disciplined record, not jumping straight to a financing decision.
Need more than definitions?
Move from terminology into the Learning Center or start organizing a real working file in DutyClaims.