In our Company Spotlight series, we highlight vendors from the TradeCompliance.Software directory that are taking a fundamentally different architectural approach to solving complex compliance problems.
HQ: San Francisco, CA
Primary Category: Duty Drawback & Tax Recovery
Key Differentiator: Caspian states it is an AI-native duty drawback platform launched in 2024 and claims to be the only provider both CBP-approved as a technology company and licensed as a customs broker. They assert this dual role enables them to reduce drawback processing times from months to days. Their February 2026 partnership with Cass Information Systems reportedly expands their reach into the freight payment ecosystem.
The Problem: Leaving Money on the Table
According to Caspian’s materials, duty drawback—the refund of certain duties, internal revenue taxes, and fees collected on imported goods—represents a significant opportunity for cost recovery in international trade. They cite industry data suggesting over 90% of eligible businesses do not file for duty drawback, leaving substantial refund potential unclaimed with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The company states that the traditional drawback process is manual, opaque, and time-consuming, often discouraging e-commerce, manufacturing, and retail importers with high volumes of re-export activity from pursuing claims. Legacy providers reportedly rely on months-long manual workflows that make it difficult for businesses to justify the effort involved, resulting in lost revenue and tied-up capital.
The Caspian Approach
Founded in 2024 by Justin Sherlock and Matt Ebeweber, Caspian positions itself as an AI-native trade advisory platform focused exclusively on duty drawback and tariff refund processing. According to the company, their platform ingests and analyzes international shipping and inventory data to automatically identify eligible duty refunds, calculate drawback claims, and prepare documentation for CBP submission.
Caspian highlights its unique dual regulatory status as both a CBP-approved technology company and a licensed customs broker, which they say enables direct electronic filing with US Customs or use as a technology layer for brokers and forwarders. They claim this approach compresses a process that traditionally takes months into days.
Beyond drawback identification and filing, Caspian lists core capabilities including automated HTS modeling, tariff audits, post summary corrections (PSC), protests, and ongoing compliance monitoring. The platform reportedly integrates via APIs with Shopify, major ERPs, and CRMs.
The Practitioner's Perspective
From the perspective of trade compliance professionals, Caspian positions itself as a technology-driven solution to replace error-prone and inefficient manual processes. The company asserts that its AI-driven data ingestion can process large volumes of transactional data with increased speed and accuracy compared to spreadsheet-based approaches.
Their February 2026 strategic partnership with Cass Information Systems integrates Caspian’s tariff audit engine into Cass’s freight payment and ocean audit platform, which they say provides a more comprehensive view of supply chain costs and compliance. This integration is positioned as expanding Caspian’s reach into the freight payment ecosystem and uncovering hidden savings.
Caspian also emphasizes rapid deployment, claiming implementation can be completed in days rather than the months typical of traditional managed services, offering a faster time-to-value for compliance leaders.
Competitive Context
Caspian identifies its primary competitors as Charter Brokerage (Hamilton), Pax AI, Descartes Duty Drawback, and Livingston International. These competitors offer varying degrees of managed services, ABI certification, or broader customs brokerage capabilities. Caspian’s claim to uniqueness lies in its combined status as a CBP-approved technology company and licensed customs broker, positioning it as a pioneer in AI-native duty drawback automation.
For companies looking to compare Caspian with other solutions, the TradeCompliance.Software directory provides side-by-side profiles and user reviews to facilitate informed decision-making.
The Verdict
Caspian positions itself as a strong fit for US importers and exporters—particularly in the e-commerce, manufacturing, and retail sectors—who may currently be leaving duty drawback funds unclaimed. While the company’s claims about its technology and regulatory positioning are compelling, prospective customers should evaluate how well these capabilities align with their specific trade compliance needs and operational complexity.
Larger enterprises might still consider traditional managed services like Charter Brokerage, while smaller businesses may evaluate ABI-certified tools such as Pax AI. Caspian’s dual role as both a tech platform and licensed customs broker could offer a differentiated value proposition for organizations seeking to modernize trade finance operations and automate tariff audits.
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To view Caspian's full profile and compare them against other providers, visit the TradeCompliance.Software directory.