General NoticeACECSMS #67305746 · January 6, 2026

CBP made ACH electronic refunds mandatory starting February 6, 2026

CBP title: ICYMI: Electronic Refunds Interim Final Rule Effective February 6, 2026 – ACE Support Call Schedule Now Available

This message is from January 6, 2026. Later CSMS messages may have changed it. See the latest trade news

What did CBP announce?

CBP announced that starting February 6, 2026, it would issue all refunds electronically through ACH, with limited exceptions, under an interim final rule published January 2, 2026. CBP said it had upgraded the ACE Portal with an automated ACH Refund Authorization tool and an automated importer account application to support the transition. CBP also held user readiness support calls in January and February 2026 to help importers and other parties prepare for the change.

What is Allied's position?

This message affected how CBP paid out refunds on entries we file, moving from other payment methods to ACH deposits for importers and other refund recipients. We advised clients at the time to confirm their ACE Portal ACH enrollment so refunds would not be delayed. Later CSMS messages may have updated this process, so clients should ask us to confirm the current refund enrollment status for their entries.

General information, not legal advice.

What does the CBP message say?

Beginning February 6, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will issue all refunds electronically via Automated Clearing House (ACH) (subject to limited exceptions), as announced in the Electronic Refunds Interim Final Rule published January 2, 2026 in the Federal Register (FR Document 2025-24171 (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/02/2025-24171/electronic-refunds)).

In preparation for this change, CBP recently improved the ACH refund sign-up process by:

Adding an automated ACH Refund Authorization tool in the Automated Commercial Environment Secure Data Portal (ACE Portal)

Automating the ACE Portal’s importer account application, which is necessary to access the new ACH Refund Authorization tool

For importers and other parties who may receive CBP-issued refunds after February 5, 2026, review CBP’s Electronic Refund Enrollment Reference Sheet (https://www.cbp.gov/document/guidance/cbp-modernizes-electronic-refund-enrollment-process) and take any necessary steps to ensure readiness for this mandatory transition.

In addition, to help the trade community prepare for the mandatory transition, CBP will hold user readiness support calls on the following dates and times: