Cass, Caspian partner to tackle tariff costs

AI-led offering to streamline customs refund process

The tariff refunding process now faces uncertainty following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision striking down President Donald Trump’s emergency tariffs. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

Cass Information Systems announced a partnership with Caspian, an AI-enabled facilitator of tariff cost management, to help U.S. importers improve trade compliance and better identify customs refunds.

A rapidly changing tariff landscape and challenging customs processes create significant compliance and financial risks for shippers. Importers often miss available refunds and the recovery process can be complicated. This partnership addresses these critical issues by integrating Cass’s established payment and audit systems with Caspian’s specialized AI technology.

“To enhance Cass payments and reporting, Caspian will contribute AI‑driven HTS modeling, detailed tariff audit capabilities, refund identification, and full support for post summary corrections (PSC), protests, and duty drawback programs,” a Thursday news release said.

Enhanced compliance and auditing will allow users to lower their tariff spend and speed up the refunding process. Importers will be able to manage trade costs on one platform and better understand landed product costs.

The tariff refunding process now faces uncertainty following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Friday decision striking down President Donald Trump’s emergency tariffs.

“Cass has supported duty payments for years. Now by adding Caspian’s compliance, audit, and recovery capabilities, we’re able to deliver the comprehensive solution our clients have been asking for,” said Tony Urban, president of Cass’s freight payment organization, in a news release.

Cass (NASDAQ: CASS) processes $37 billion in annual freight payables, executing $94 billion in total disbursements across all sectors.

“Caspian brings a best-in-class AI-driven tariff audit engine and advanced HTS modeling to this partnership, and our team has decades of combined experience in customs brokerage and supply chain technology,” said Justin Sherlock, co-founder and CEO of Caspian.

More FreightWaves articles by Todd Maiden:

Upcoming FreightWaves Events
Compliance

Brokerage Compliance Symposium

The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.

October 26, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
Awards

F3 Awards Dinner

The night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.

October 26, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
FreightTech

F3: Future of Freight Festival

Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.

October 27, 2026 – October 28, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
Compliance Brokerage Compliance Symposium Oct 26 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN

The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now
Awards F3 Awards Dinner Oct 26 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN

The night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now
FreightTech F3: Future of Freight Festival Oct 27 – Oct 28 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN

Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now

Todd Maiden

Based in Richmond, VA, Todd is the finance editor at FreightWaves. Prior to joining FreightWaves, he covered the TLs, LTLs, railroads and brokers for RBC Capital Markets and BB&T Capital Markets. Todd began his career in banking and finance before moving over to transportation equity research where he provided stock recommendations for publicly traded transportation companies.