Seaport Global Has Traded Distressed Claims for Over 25 Years. Here’s What That Means for IEEPA Sellers

Most financial firms rarely, if ever, encounter distressed trade claims. Seaport Global has built a dedicated practice around them. For more than two decades, Seaport Global has traded claims in some of the most consequential financial and legal events in modern history. Each of these situations involved converting uncertain future recovery into immediate liquidity for claim holders. That experience is directly relevant to IEEPA sellers today.

Why Experience Matters in Claims Trading

IEEPA tariff claims carry real complexity. The most recent order from the Court of International Trade (CIT) tasked the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with implementing new ACE/CAPE-based procedures to facilitate refunds. While a basic framework has been outlined, reconciling approximately 53 million IEEPA duty entries and updating approximately 1.7 billion entry summary lines across roughly 330,000 affected importers raises real questions around the timing of actual refund payments, given the scale of the process. 

Historical precedent suggests this type of reconciliation can stretch over years, not months. That’s before factoring in potential administrative or legal challenges that could further delay refunds. Companies interested in monetizing their claims now, rather than waiting for this process, need an experienced partner they can trust to navigate this complexity.

Buyers in the IEEPA claims trading market are sophisticated institutional investors. They conduct detailed due diligence on every transaction, typically evaluating customs documentation, the size and composition of each claim, and any factors that could affect the timing or amount of an eventual recovery. Sellers who work with an experienced broker are better positioned to present their claims clearly and efficiently. Specialized claims brokers also guide sellers through the transaction process, anticipate pitfalls, and respond to concerns quickly, helping to avoid missteps that can delay execution and the receipt of proceeds. 

Equally important, experienced claims brokers work with sellers to determine their objectives and run a disciplined process that identifies the most appropriate counterparties and optimizes value.

Seaport Global’s Track Record is Built on Complex, Illiquid Assets

Seaport Global’s claims trading desk has executed transactions involving hundreds of millions of dollars in Employee Retention Credits and billions across landmark bankruptcy cases and major litigation recoveries. The same institutional relationships and underwriting discipline that drove those outcomes are now being applied to the IEEPA refund claims market.

For sellers, that means access to a competitive pool of institutional buyers, a structured process designed to close in a matter of weeks, and a seasoned team experienced in guiding sellers through complex claims transactions from start to finish.

With IEEPA claims, every detail matters. Seaport Global’s experience can be the difference between maximizing value and leaving it on the table.

Contact Seaport Global to evaluate your IEEPA claim.

Takeaways

• The Supreme Court’s February 2026 ruling struck down IEEPA tariffs, creating a refund event covering roughly $166 billion in duties across 330,000 importers, but CBP’s reconciliation of 53 million entries could take years.
• Importers who sell their claims now receive a cash payment at closing rather than waiting on CBP’s administrative timeline.
• Seaport Global has traded distressed claims for over 25 years, with transactions spanning hundreds of millions in Employee Retention Credits and billions across major bankruptcy and litigation recovery cases.