Representatives from Israel and Lebanon are expected to meet for a round of talks in the coming days amid the intensified fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz reported Saturday.
The newspaper cited a source familiar with the matter as saying that former Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, who was asked to handle the "Lebanon file" by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will meet with the Lebanese representatives for direct negotiations.
The source added that the United States is also involved in the process, led on its behalf by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Another source told the newspaper that the talks between Israel and Lebanon could take place in Cyprus or Paris.
According to another Lebanese official source on Saturday, the Lebanese president, prime minister, and speaker of Parliament are discussing forming a negotiating delegation, likely composed of ambassadorial-level officials, for the potential talks.
Cyprus is being considered as a potential meeting location, but Lebanon is open to holding talks in the capital of any European country, according to the source.
Israeli, Lebanese representatives expected to meet for talks in coming days: media
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Monday launched the first phase of a new claims system that will allow importers to seek repayment of tariffs collected under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
Companies and their customs brokers can submit refund requests through CBP's Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) portal using a newly developed tool known as the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries, or CAPE, starting Monday.
Once a claim is validated, CBP will recalculate the duties without the IEEPA tariffs and reliquidate the entries, triggering repayment. The refunds will be paid directly to the businesses that originally paid the tariffs, local media reported Monday.
Valid refunds will generally be issued within 60 to 90 days after a claim is accepted, CBP said, though more complex cases could take longer.
CBP is rolling out the refund process in phases. Court filings show that more than 330,000 importers paid duties on over 53 million shipments, totaling roughly 166 billion U.S. dollars.
The Supreme Court ruled in February that U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs under IEEPA are unconstitutional. It is Congress, not the president, that holds authority over such taxes.
Following the ruling, a judge at the U.S. Court of International Trade directed CBP to remove the tariffs from affected entries and refund any excess duties collected, along with interest.
U.S. gov't begins refunding tariffs to businesses
U.S. gov't begins refunding tariffs to businesses
