According to a recent LinkedIn post from Flexport, more than 300,000 businesses may be eligible for a share of an estimated $166 billion in upcoming IEEPA-related customs refunds. The post indicates that errors in historical filings could jeopardize these refunds, citing Flexport’s finding of customs payment errors in 85% of U.S.-bound shipments previously handled by other brokers.
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The company’s LinkedIn post highlights commentary from Flexport President Sanne Manders in fDi Intelligence on the sources of such errors and the importance of auditing filings before refund claims are made. The post also points to Flexport’s “Audit Your Customs Broker” AI tool, which is described as automatically reviewing entries and estimating potential duty overpayments or underpayments.
For investors, the post suggests a sizeable addressable market in customs-audit and trade-compliance services, underpinned by the large dollar value of potential refunds and the high error rate Flexport reports. If the company’s AI-driven audit offering gains traction among importers seeking to validate filings before refund submissions, Flexport could strengthen its position in digital freight forwarding and adjacent compliance services.
The emphasis on AI-based auditing may also signal an ongoing strategic push toward higher-margin, software-enabled products that complement Flexport’s logistics operations. Over time, successful monetization of such tools and any resulting increase in wallet share with importers could support revenue diversification and deepen client relationships in a competitive trade and logistics technology landscape.