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What changed at U.S. Customs?
Every message from the CBP Cargo Systems Messaging Service (CSMS), with a plain-English summary and Allied CHB's position. We add new messages every hour.
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- General NoticeCSMS #67698864
CBP ran a CSMS user satisfaction survey through February 27, 2026
CBP's Office of Trade announced a CSMS User Satisfaction Survey in February 2026. The survey asked CSMS users about their experience with CSMS messages. CBP said it would use the results to consider improvements to trade communications. The survey was open until February 27, 2026.
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This was an optional survey with no effect on the entries we file. The survey has closed, and clients do not need to act.
- General NoticeCSMS #67644085
CBP started issuing all refunds through ACH instead of checks
CBP announced that, starting February 6, 2026, it would issue all refunds electronically through ACH, with limited exceptions, under the Electronic Refunds Interim Final Rule. CBP updated its ACE Portal and ACH Refunds FAQ and published enrollment guides and training materials. The notice encouraged importers and brokers to review the resources and complete any needed ACH enrollment steps.
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This rule set up the ACH refund system that CBP still uses, including for IEEPA duty refunds processed through CAPE Declarations. Clients who have not enrolled for ACH refunds in the ACE Portal should confirm their enrollment so any refund CBP owes them, including on entries we file, can be paid electronically. If you are unsure whether your account is enrolled, ask us and we can point you to the CBP enrollment resources.
- General NoticeCSMS #67593748
CBP opened registration for the April 2026 Customs Broker License Exam
CBP announced that registration for the April 22, 2026 Customs Broker License Exam (CBLE) opened February 9, 2026 and closed March 11, 2026. Registration was handled through links on the CBP.gov Customs Brokers webpage. This message was for individuals seeking to become licensed customs brokers, not for importers or shippers.
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This message concerns individuals seeking a customs broker license, not Allied's clients. Clients do not need to act on this notice. The registration window has already closed, so it has no current effect on entries we file.
- General NoticeCSMS #67590021
NOAA detailed how importers must certify fish imports are not MMPA-restricted
CBP relayed NOAA Fisheries guidance on the Certification of Admissibility (COA) required for certain fish and fish products under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, effective January 1, 2026. The message explained who must complete the COA, what data it must contain, and that importers of record must sign a final certification within 24 hours after release. It also set out how to upload the COA in the ACE Document Imaging System using specific document type, label, and code fields.
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This message described an ongoing NOAA certification requirement for covered fish and fish products, not a one time deadline, and nothing since has told us it changed. For entries covered by MMPA restrictions, we upload the COA in ACE DIS before release and expect the importer of record's final certification within 24 hours after release. If you import fish or fish products, ask us to review whether your HTS numbers fall under this requirement so we can confirm the entries we file for you are handled correctly.
CBP fixed a time-out error in ACE Reports
CBP announced that it deployed an update on January 29, 2026 to fix a rise in 524 time-out errors that some users saw when running ACE Reports. CBP said the issue was limited to running reports and did not affect trade operations. Users who still see time-out or other errors can contact the ACE Help Desk or the ACE Reports team.
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This issue affected only the ACE Reports tool, not entry filing or cargo release, so it did not change how we processed client entries. No client action was needed then, and none is needed now. Clients with current ACE Reports issues should contact the CBP ACE Help Desk directly.
CBP updated air manifest data fields for declared value and currency codes
CBP announced in January 2026 that it updated the ACE Air CAMIR system in Production to make the Declared Value and ISO Currency Code fields conditional, required for express bills. CBP also updated its ACE AIR CAMIR Message Line Identifiers Implementation Guide. The update affects parties who submit air import manifest data through ACE.
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This update concerns the technical filing of air manifests in ACE and is handled by carriers and ABI filers, not by importers. It does not change any duty, classification or entry requirement for our clients. Clients do not need to act on this message; if they have questions about how their air shipments are manifested, they can ask Allied to check with the filer.
CBP made ACH electronic refunds mandatory starting February 6, 2026
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.
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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.
CBP issues all refunds electronically by ACH from February 6, 2026
CBP announced that from February 6, 2026 it would issue all refunds electronically by Automated Clearing House (ACH), with limited exceptions. The change came from the Electronic Refunds Interim Final Rule published January 2, 2026. CBP added an automated ACH Refund Authorization tool and an automated importer account application in the ACE Portal. CBP asked importers and other parties expecting refunds after February 5, 2026 to review its enrollment reference sheet and prepare.
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This message meant importers needed ACH refund enrollment in the ACE Portal to receive CBP refunds from February 6, 2026. Refunds on the entries we file, such as drawback or IEEPA duty refunds, depend on the refund recipient's enrollment. Later CSMS messages may have changed details. Clients who are unsure of their ACH refund setup should ask Allied to review their account and entries.
- General NoticeCSMS #67236626
CBP published 2026 due dates for Periodic Monthly Statement duty payments
CBP announced that ACE filers approved for Periodic Monthly Statement (PMS) can pay duties for shipments entered or released the prior calendar month. CBP posted the specific 2026 due dates in an attached PDF. This applies to importers who use PMS to pay duties on a monthly cycle rather than per entry.
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This message concerns the payment calendar for clients enrolled in Periodic Monthly Statement. It set the 2026 due dates and, as a routine reference schedule, still applies unless a later CBP message changed it. Clients who use PMS do not need to take any action beyond following the posted dates. Clients who want to confirm their specific due dates should ask Allied to review their entries.
Air manifest: Declared Value and Currency Code became conditional for express bills
CBP announced that an update to the ACE air manifest (CAMIR) was available for testing in the CERT environment. The update made the Declared Value and ISO Currency Code fields conditional, and required for an express bill. CBP updated the ACE AIR CAMIR Message Line Identifiers Implementation Guide and said the change would reach Production on January 6, 2026.
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This message concerned air carriers and express consignment operators that transmit air manifests to ACE, not the entries importers file. Later CSMS messages may have changed these manifest rules. Clients do not need to act, but should ask us if they have questions about their air shipments.
- General NoticeCSMS #67158887
CBP set Dec 24 and 26, 2025 as holidays, delaying payment due dates
CBP announced that December 24 and 26, 2025 became federal holidays under a presidential executive order, joining December 25 as CBP holidays. Entry summaries with a statement print date of December 24 or 26, 2025 still printed on those days, but payment was not due until December 29, 2025. ABI filers could change the payment print date to December 29, 2025 for previously transmitted summaries at their discretion.
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This notice only affected payment timing for entry summaries around the December 2025 holidays and that period has passed. It does not affect any entries we file today. Clients do not need to take any action on this now.
CBP added carnet reference codes to ACE truck manifest messages
CBP announced updates to ACE truck manifest implementation guides to add new codes for Carnets, including a Bill of Lading Type code, Carnet Number and Carnet Expiration reference qualifiers, and related error codes. The changes let filers submit a Carnet number and expiration date in the Import Truck Manifest to improve processing at ports of entry. CBP said trade parties and software developers using EDI must update their systems, and that Certification and Production dates would be announced in a future CSMS.
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This message concerns EDI formatting for truck carriers and software providers, not the entries we file for importers. We do not manage truck manifest EDI transmissions, so this update does not change how we process client entries. Clients do not need to act, and a later CSMS may have set the actual effective dates, so ask us if you have a specific carnet shipment question.
CBP added new seal-related codes to ocean and rail import manifest guidance
CBP announced updates to the ACE Ocean/Rail Import Manifest Appendix D document, adding two new disposition codes, D2 for a seal added and D3 for a seal deleted, for a future system enhancement. The message stated a separate CSMS would follow with release dates for Certification and Production. It did not set an effective date for the new codes.
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This notice concerns how CBP's manifest system reports container seal changes to carriers and filers, not entry filing itself. It does not change any duty, entry, or documentation requirement for our clients. Clients do not need to take any action on this item.
- General NoticeCSMS #67055632
NMFS barred certain seafood imports without MMPA certification starting January 2026
CBP relayed a NMFS notice announcing that, beginning January 1, 2026, fish and fish products from nations whose fisheries were denied comparability findings under the Marine Mammal Protection Act became inadmissible unless accompanied by a signed Certification of Admissibility. The rule applied to shipments using designated HTS codes from those nations. NMFS also held two webinars in December 2025 explaining the certification requirements.
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This rule affected entries of specific fish and fish products tied to designated HTS codes from nations denied MMPA comparability findings. Later CSMS messages may have updated the list of affected fisheries or certification details, so clients importing seafood under these codes should ask us to review their entries. Clients who do not import designated fish products do not need to act on this message.
- General NoticeCSMS #66971728
CBP set 2026 broker permit fee deadline for January 30, 2026
CBP announced that the 2026 customs broker annual permit user fee of $185.38 was due by January 30, 2026 for all active national permits issued on or before December 31, 2025. CBP said it would revoke permits by operation of law if brokers missed the deadline. Brokers could pay through the eCBP portal, which accepted payments from December 2, 2025 through January 30, 2026.
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This notice concerned customs broker permit fees, not importer entries. Clients did not need to act on this notice. We handled our own permit fee obligations directly with CBP.
- General NoticeCSMS #66976512
CBP corrected the link for 2026 broker permit fee notice (deadline already passed)
CBP issued a correction fixing the Federal Register link in a prior notice about the 2026 customs broker annual permit user fee. The fee was 185.38 dollars per active national permit issued on or before December 31, 2025, and was due January 30, 2026. Failure to pay by that date would result in permit revocation by operation of law.
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This notice concerns customs brokers and their permit fee payments, not importers or shippers. It only corrects a hyperlink in an earlier CBP bulletin about the 2026 fee, which was due January 30, 2026, a date now well past. Clients do not need to act on this message.
The summaries and positions are general information, not legal advice. Always check the official CBP message, which each page links to.
Does a change affect your entries?
Call (908) 291-8001 or email info@alliedchb.com