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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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- May 14, 2026
CBP held ACE maintenance overnight on May 16-17, 2026
CBP announced ACE production standard invasive maintenance from 10:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 16, 2026 to 4:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 17, 2026. This was a scheduled system maintenance window affecting ACE availability. The message did not specify which ACE functions were affected.
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This was a routine, time-limited maintenance window that has long since passed. It does not affect any entries we file today, and clients do not need to take any action regarding this notice.
- PGA UpdateCSMS #68634647
CBP Updated CPSC Electronic Filing Guide for ABI Messaging
CBP announced an updated Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Message Implementation Guide, posted to the CATAIR website. The update clarified that only one OI record is allowed per HTS code, and added language on the Intended Use Code restriction for type B disclaims. The guide is a technical reference for filers submitting CPSC data through ABI.
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This message concerns the technical ABI filing format that brokers use to submit CPSC data, not a change in import requirements. Clients do not need to act. Later CSMS messages may have updated these filing specifications further, so if a specific entry raises a CPSC data question, ask us to review it.
- General NoticeCSMS #68625750
CBP held classification webinars from May to September 2026
CBP's National Commodity Specialist Division announced a series of commodity specific webinars running from May through September 2026, focused on tariff classification topics and emerging technology. The webinars covered subjects such as printed matter, aluminum scrap, coated fabrics, robots, and electrothermic appliances. Sessions were held on WebEx with links posted on CBP's website, and registration opened month by month starting in May 2026.
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This message announced educational webinars, not a rule change, so it does not affect how we file entries. Clients did not need to register or take any action, and later CSMS messages may have introduced classification guidance discussed in these sessions. Clients with questions about how a specific product was classified should ask Allied to review their entries.
CBP added a new liquidation reason code for CAPE refunds in ACE
CBP announced that the ACE CATAIR Entry Summary Query was updated to add a new Liquidation Reason Code, "36," for CAPE. CBP said the update went live in the Certification and Production environments on May 12, 2026. The change affects the Output JD-Record returned by the Entry Summary Query.
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This is a technical ACE system update for entry summary data and it concerns how liquidation reason codes appear in query results. It does not require any action from importers or shippers. We track these ACE code updates as part of how we file and monitor entries, including CAPE related IEEPA refund entries.
- System UpdateCSMS #68609998
CBP Issued HTS Database Update for Section 232 Heavy Vehicle Tariffs
CBP announced Harmonized System Update 2610, created May 7, 2026, containing two harmonized tariff records and four ABI records. The update implemented Section 232 tariff changes for USMCA-qualifying medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, detailed in a related CSMS message. CBP directed Section 232 questions to its Trade Remedy Branch and other HSU questions to the HTS Administrator.
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This update changed CBP's tariff database entries that filing systems use, rather than announcing a new duty itself. We update our filing systems to match HTS changes CBP publishes so entries classify correctly. Clients importing USMCA-qualifying medium- and heavy-duty vehicles under Section 232 should ask us to review how this update applies to their specific entries. Later CSMS messages may have changed these Section 232 provisions further, so clients should confirm current requirements with us.
CBP held ACE certification maintenance window on May 13, 2026
CBP announced an ACE certification standard invasive maintenance window on May 13, 2026 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET. This was a scheduled maintenance period on the ACE certification environment. The message did not describe any impact beyond the window itself.
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This was a routine, time-limited maintenance notice for the ACE certification environment and the window has already passed. It required no action from clients at the time and has no bearing on current entries. Clients do not need to do anything about this notice now.
CBP routed drawback claims to the Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Minerals Center starting April 22, 2026
CBP announced that drawback claims transmitted in ACE are routed directly to the Petroleum, Natural Gas and Minerals Center (PNGM Center) effective April 22, 2026. The drawback program and Drawback Specialists were consolidated under this center on October 6, 2025. Claims are assigned to Team FDK and routed internally to a drawback specialist team based on the first character of the importer of record. Claims, privilege applications, and paper claims filed before April 21, 2026 stay with the office that originally received them.
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This message set new internal CBP routing for drawback claims and gave specific email contacts by importer of record letter, which applied from April 22, 2026 onward. We file drawback claims through ACE as required and this change affects how CBP processes them internally, not how we submit them. Clients with open drawback claims or questions about which CBP office now handles their case should ask us to confirm the current routing for their entries.
CBP held ACE maintenance overnight May 9 to 10, 2026
CBP announced ACE production standard invasive maintenance from 10:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 9, 2026 to 4:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 10, 2026. This affected users of the ACE system during that window. The message did not describe which specific ACE functions were unavailable.
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This was a routine, time-limited maintenance window for ACE that has already passed. It does not affect entries filed today, and clients do not need to take any action regarding this notice.
- Policy GuidanceCSMS #68570342
CBP extended its CSMS user satisfaction survey to May 22, 2026
CBP reminded CSMS users that its CSMS User Satisfaction Survey was still collecting responses. CBP launched the survey on February 9, 2026, and extended it to remain open until May 22, 2026. CBP said it would use the responses to find possible improvements to trade communications. It asked users who had already responded not to respond again.
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This survey closed on May 22, 2026, and it did not change any entry or filing rules. Clients do not need to act.
CBP warned importers about scams targeting IEEPA refund claims
CBP announced that scammers may try to obtain personal, company, or banking information from importers by falsely offering to file IEEPA duty refunds on their behalf. CBP said the only valid way to request an IEEPA refund is a CAPE Declaration filed through the verified ACE Secure Data Portal. CBP said it will not ask for sensitive information such as Social Security numbers or passwords by email or text, and listed warning signs of phishing attempts.
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This guidance still applies because CBP continues to process IEEPA refunds only through CAPE Declarations in the ACE Portal. We do not ask clients for banking or personal details by email or text, and we file refund requests only through the official ACE system. Clients should ignore unsolicited offers to file IEEPA refunds and should contact us directly if they receive suspicious messages about their entries.
CBP Explained How to Split Section 232 Duty on USMCA Medium and Heavy Trucks
CBP issued guidance on applying the 25 percent Section 232 duty under Proclamation 10984 only to the non-U.S. content of USMCA-qualifying medium- and heavy-duty vehicles approved by the Commerce Department. The rule covered entries filed on or after November 1, 2025. CBP required importers to report the non-U.S. content on one line under HTSUS 9903.74.03 at 25 percent and the U.S. content on a second line under HTSUS 9903.74.06 at 0 percent, using the same HTSUS number and country of origin on both lines.
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At the time, we filed approved USMCA medium- and heavy-duty vehicle entries using the two-line reporting method CBP described, splitting non-U.S. and U.S. content values across HTSUS 9903.74.03 and 9903.74.06. Later CSMS messages may have changed these instructions or the Section 232 program itself. Clients with pending or past MHDV entries under this program should ask Allied to review their current filing requirements.
CBP issued technical fixes to Section 232 metals tariff codes and Tata Steel UK rule
CBP announced technical corrections to the HTSUS codes created by Proclamation 11021's Section 232 duties on aluminum, steel, and copper. It created new subheading 9903.82.01 for covered articles containing no aluminum, steel, or copper, at a 0% additional duty rate, retroactive to April 6, 2026. CBP also clarified that U.K.-origin steel made by Tata Steel UK with melt and pour reported as the Netherlands could keep using the lower U.K. steel rate under headings 9903.82.04 and 9903.82.05, and count toward the 95 percent melt and pour threshold, until January 1, 2028.
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At the time, this affected entries of steel, aluminum, or copper articles and their derivatives filed on or after April 6, 2026, including entries already filed before the corrections were published. Later CSMS messages, including changes tied to the Learning Resources ruling and the end of IEEPA duties, may have changed how Section 232 duties apply to current entries. Clients with entries covered by these corrections, or by the Tata Steel UK melt and pour provision, should ask us to review their specific entries.
CBP held an ACE maintenance window in May 2026, now past
CBP announced an ACE certification standard invasive maintenance window on May 6, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET. This was a scheduled system maintenance event affecting the ACE platform used for entry filing. It applied to all users of the ACE system during that window.
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This was a routine, one time maintenance window that has already passed. It did not require any action from clients and does not affect entries filed today. Clients do not need to do anything about this message.
CBP Detailed ACE Reports for Tracking IEEPA CAPE Refund Claims
CBP announced that after the April 20, 2026 CAPE tool launch in the ACE Portal, importers could use several ACE Reports products to monitor IEEPA refund claims. These included ES-022, REV-603, REV-613 and REV-615, which track refund status, ACH issuance, diverted funds and rejected ACH refunds. CBP said Treasury would begin issuing IEEPA refund ACH payments as early as May 12, 2026.
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This message explained tools for tracking IEEPA refund claims filed through CAPE, which CBP still uses for IEEPA refunds. We can run these ACE Reports to check the status of refund claims tied to entries we filed and to confirm whether Treasury issued, diverted or rejected a refund. Clients do not need to take action from this message alone, but should tell us if they have not received an expected refund so we can review the report data with them.
CBP resolved earlier ACE Truck Manifest access issue
CBP announced that an earlier outage affecting ACE Portal Truck Manifest and References Tab applications, including ACE Reports, was resolved. CBP advised users to clear their browser cache and try again. This message is from May 1, 2026 and is now over 30 days old.
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This notice only confirmed a past ACE system outage was fixed and does not affect current entries. Clients do not need to take any action on this. If clients are experiencing ongoing ACE access issues today, they should contact us so we can check current system status.
CBP reminded ACE Portal owners how to reactivate user access
CBP reminded Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Portal Trade Account Owners that they can reactivate Proxy Trade Account Owners and Trade Account Users themselves. The message listed the steps: log in as the account owner, use the Tools tab, select the user, and click Reactivate. It pointed to a CBP reference guide for more detail.
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This message describes a standard ACE Portal feature rather than a new rule, so it likely still applies today. It concerns account administration, not entry filing, so it does not change how we file entries for clients. Clients who manage their own ACE Portal accounts can follow these steps directly; others do not need to act.
- PGA UpdateCSMS #68510400
CBP Reinserted Footnote 4 in PGA Flag Enforcement Table (May 2026)
CBP announced that the April 27, 2026 version of the PGA Flag Enforcement table reinserted footnote #4. The updated document is posted in the Draft Chapters section of the CATAIR page. This was a technical documentation update related to an earlier message, CSMS # 68468385.
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This message concerns technical PGA flag documentation used for ABI filings and does not require client action. We reference the current PGA Flag Enforcement table when preparing entries with partner government agency data. Clients do not need to do anything in response to this update.
CBP updates ACE CATAIR PGA message set with new data codes
CBP announced an update to the ACE CATAIR PGA Message Set on May 1, 2026. The update added two new qualifier codes, LAT and LON, to the PG60 record valid for the parent PG19 record. It also added a new inspection or lab testing status code, N, to the PG30 record.
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This is a technical update to the data set used for filing partner government agency information in ACE. It concerns the systems and data formats brokers use, not actions importers or shippers need to take. Later CSMS messages may have changed related PGA requirements, and clients with questions about how this affects their specific entries should ask Allied to review them.
ACE truck manifest and references tab were briefly unavailable in April 2026
CBP announced that the ACE Truck Manifest and References Tab applications, including ACE Reports, were unavailable in the ACE Mod Portal. CBP said EDI processing was not affected and all other ACE applications remained available. CBP said it would issue another message once the issue was resolved.
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This outage affected only certain ACE Mod Portal applications and did not affect EDI filings we submit for clients. CBP indicated a follow-up message would confirm when service was restored, and a later CSMS may have already done so. Clients do not need to take any action regarding this notice.
- System UpdateCSMS #68504361
CBP updated HTSUS records for Proclamation 11021 duties in April 2026
CBP announced Harmonized System Update (HSU) 2609, created April 29, 2026, with six Harmonized Tariff Records and 19 ABI records. The update made technical corrections to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States for duties imposed under presidential proclamation 11021. CBP directed filing questions to its Trade Remedy Branch and technical questions to the HTS administrators.
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This was a technical data update to the tariff schedule that fed into the ABI system used for entry filing at the time. It did not require importers to change anything on their own, but it could affect classification and duty calculation for goods covered by proclamation 11021. Later CSMS messages or tariff changes may have superseded these corrections, so clients with entries affected by this proclamation should ask us to review their specific filings.
CBP resolved earlier ACE Truck Manifest and References Tab outage
CBP announced that the ACE Portal Truck Manifest and References Tab applications, along with ACE Reports in the ACE Mod Portal, were unavailable and have since been restored. CBP advised users to clear their browser cache to regain access. The notice affected users of these specific ACE Mod Portal applications.
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This was a temporary ACE Mod Portal access issue that CBP resolved shortly after it arose. It did not change any filing rules or entry requirements, and later CSMS messages have not referenced it further. Clients do not need to take any action regarding this notice.
CBP held ACE maintenance overnight May 2 to 3, 2026
CBP announced ACE production standard invasive maintenance from 10:00 p.m. ET Saturday, May 2, 2026, to 4:00 a.m. ET Sunday, May 3, 2026. This affected filers using ACE during that window. The message did not describe which specific ACE functions were unavailable.
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This was a routine, time-limited ACE maintenance window that occurred in the past and has no ongoing effect on entries we file today. Clients do not need to take any action regarding this notice now.
CBP ran ACE maintenance window on April 29, 2026 (test environment)
CBP announced an ACE certification standard invasive maintenance window scheduled for April 29, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET. This affected the ACE certification (test) environment, not the production system used for live filings.
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This notice concerns a system maintenance window that has already passed and applied to the ACE test environment. It did not affect entries Allied filed for clients. Clients do not need to take any action regarding this message.
- PGA UpdateCSMS #68468385
CBP added CPSC enforcement flagging to its PGA flag table
CBP announced it updated the Partner Government Agency (PGA) Flag Enforcement Table on CBP.gov. The update added flagging enforcement for the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). CBP directed questions about CPSC flagging to the CPSC eFiling Support team.
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This update concerns the technical PGA flagging data that brokers use in filing systems, not a new rule for importers. We monitor CATAIR table updates like this one as part of how we file entries with PGA data. Clients do not need to act on this notice.
- Policy GuidanceCSMS #68448732
CBP extended Jones Act waiver for Department of War cargo through August 16, 2026
CBP announced that DHS extended the March 17, 2026 Jones Act waiver requested by the Department of War for an additional 90 days, starting May 18, 2026. Covered cargo had to be loaded onto the vessel before the waiver expired at 11:59 pm EDT on August 16, 2026. CBP updated the list of potentially covered products and required a PDF copy of CBP Form 1302 with notification emails to jonesact@cbp.dhs.gov. The waiver applied to carriers moving listed commodities on foreign-flag vessels between U.S. ports.
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This waiver applied to carriers transporting specific Department of War cargo on foreign-flag vessels, not to the formal and informal entries Allied files for importers. The waiver period ended on August 16, 2026, so it no longer applies today. Clients who moved covered cargo under this waiver should have already met CBP's notification and Form 1302 requirements by that date. Clients with questions about how this affected specific shipments should ask Allied to review the relevant records.
- System UpdateCSMS #68439049
HSU 2608 added Section 301 Large Civil Aircraft updates and 2026 HTS fixes
CBP announced that Harmonized System Update (HSU) 2608 was created on April 22, 2026. It contained 39 Harmonized Tariff Records and 123 ABI records. The update included Section 301 Large Civil Aircraft (LCA) HTS updates and miscellaneous adjustments from the verification of the 2026 Harmonized Tariff Schedule. CBP referred filers to CSMS 49153305 for guidance on the LCA updates.
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This was a routine tariff database update that ACE applied to entries filed after its creation. Later CSMS messages may have changed these records. Clients did not need to act, but those importing goods covered by the Section 301 LCA action should ask us to review their entries.
CBP held ACE maintenance overnight April 25 to 26, 2026
CBP announced ACE production standard invasive maintenance from 10:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 25, 2026, to 4:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, April 26, 2026. This maintenance window affected ACE availability for filers during those hours. The message did not describe any specific system functions affected.
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This was a routine, time-limited maintenance window that has already passed. It does not affect entries we file today, and clients do not need to take any action regarding this notice.
CBP updates truck export manifest and conveyance report technical specs
CBP announced technical updates to the Electronic Export Manifest Truck 309 Customs Manifest and the CUSREP Conveyance Report in ACE. Changes include marking one data element as not used, removing a cancellation code, updating language for one code, and revising descriptions for two other codes. The message was published April 22, 2026 and directs technical questions to CBP client representatives and policy questions to a CBP email address.
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This message concerns technical data formatting for truck export manifest filings, which is a carrier and export filing function. It does not affect the import entries Allied files for clients. Clients do not need to take any action.
CBP Held ACE Maintenance Window on April 22, 2026
CBP announced an ACE Certification Standard Invasive Maintenance Window scheduled for April 22, 2026, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm ET. The message gave no other details about affected systems or functions.
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This was a routine, time limited maintenance window for the ACE Certification test environment, not the production system used for filing entries. It required no action from clients and had no lasting effect on entries we file today. Clients do not need to do anything about this notice now.
CBP added new ACE error checks for Section 232 drawback claims on auto parts
CBP announced it deployed two new ACE error validations for drawback claims on April 21, 2026. The FD12 error flags 1313(a) or 1313(b) claims dated before November 1, 2025. The FD13 error flags claims that lack both the Section 232 HTS number and the Chapter 1-97 HTS number, or that claim more than is available on the entry summary line, for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Parts and Automobile Parts from South Korea.
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This affects drawback claims we file under 19 U.S.C. 1313(a) and 1313(b) that involve Section 232 duties on these vehicle and auto parts. We report both the eligible Section 232 HTS number and the Chapter 1-97 HTS number, and confirm claim dates and amounts, to avoid these ACE errors. Clients filing drawback on these products should ask us to review their claims against these validations, since we have no information that later CSMS messages changed this.
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?
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