ACE Portal for Customs: The Complete Guide

The ACE Portal — formally known as the Automated Commercial Environment — is CBP’s mandatory electronic system for processing every import and export transaction entering or leaving the United States. If your goods are crossing a U.S. border, ACE is where the clearance process begins and ends.

For importers, logistics managers, and supply chain teams, understanding how ACE works is not optional. It determines whether your shipment clears in minutes or sits at the dock for days.

What Is the ACE Portal?

Automated Commercial Environment (ACE): The U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s centralized, web-based trade processing platform that serves as the single window for all U.S. import and export compliance data, replacing the legacy Automated Commercial System (ACS) in 2016.

ACE connects more than 47 Partner Government Agencies (PGAs) — including the FDA, USDA, EPA, FWS, and TTB — through a single electronic submission. Before ACE, importers had to file separately with each agency. Now one ACE filing triggers simultaneous review by every relevant agency for a given shipment.

The scale of the system is significant: CBP processes over $3 trillion in trade annually through ACE, covering roughly 11 million import entries each year. More than 550,000 trade community members — brokers, importers, carriers, freight forwarders, and sureties — have active ACE accounts.

ACE is not just a filing portal. It handles:

• Entry summaries and formal entry filings
• Importer Security Filings (ISF, commonly called “10+2”)
• Manifest data from carriers
• Post-summary corrections (PSCs)
• Duty drawback claims
• Protest submissions
• Bond management
• Partner Government Agency (PGA) data transmission

How the ACE Portal Works: Step-by-Step

Understanding the filing workflow in ACE helps importers anticipate timelines and avoid delays.

Step 1: Account Setup and Access

To file directly in ACE, you need a CBP-issued ACE Secure Data Portal account. Access is available at cbp.gov. Importers can register as an “Importer” account type. Customs brokers register under their license and can file on behalf of multiple importer clients once a Power of Attorney (POA) is in place.

If you hire a licensed customs broker, they manage ACE filings on your behalf and you typically do not need your own account — though having one gives you direct shipment visibility.

Step 2: Importer Security Filing (ISF) Submission

For ocean shipments, the process starts before the vessel even departs the foreign port. Under 19 CFR Part 149, importers (or their brokers) must submit an ISF — commonly called the “10+2” filing — at least 24 hours before vessel departure. The 10 data elements include:

1. Seller name and address
2. Buyer name and address
3. Importer of record number
4. Consignee number
5. Manufacturer (or supplier) name and address
6. Ship-to name and address
7. Country of origin
8. HTS code (first six digits minimum)
9. Container stuffing location
10. Consolidator name and address

Late or inaccurate ISF submissions carry penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. CBP’s automated targeting system uses ISF data to assess cargo risk before the shipment even boards the vessel.

Step 3: Entry Filing

When the shipment arrives — or just before arrival — the importer of record (or their broker) files an entry in ACE. The entry type determines the required documents and duties:

• Informal entry (Type 11): Goods valued under $2,500, minimal documentation
• Formal entry (Type 01): Goods valued at $2,500 or more, requires a customs bond, commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, and HTS classification

The entry includes the HTS code, declared value, country of origin, and calculated duties. ACE automatically computes the Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) and Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF) where applicable.

Step 4: Automated Targeting and PGA Routing

Once the entry is submitted, ACE’s Automated Targeting System (ATS) scores the shipment for risk. Simultaneously, the system identifies which Partner Government Agencies have jurisdiction over the commodity and routes the relevant data to each.

A shipment of dietary supplements, for example, would be routed to the FDA under the Prior Notice system. A shipment of agricultural products would trigger USDA/APHIS review.

Step 5: CBP Response — Release, Hold, or Exam

CBP issues one of three responses:

• Release: Goods are authorized to move. For low-risk shipments, this can happen in minutes.
• Hold: CBP or a PGA requires additional documentation or review before release.
• Intensive Exam: Physical examination or laboratory testing is required. This can add 3–10+ business days and port exam fees the importer pays.

Step 6: Entry Summary and Duty Payment

After release, the importer has 10 business days to file the entry summary and pay all owed duties, taxes, and fees (19 USC 1484). The entry summary is the formal reconciliation of the entry — it confirms final value, classification, and duty calculation.

Step 7: Liquidation

CBP officially “liquidates” an entry — closing the books on it — typically within one year of entry. Under 19 USC 1504, unliquidated entries are deemed liquidated at the entered rate after four years. Importers have 90 days from liquidation to file a protest under 19 USC 1514 if they disagree with CBP’s duty assessment.

ACE Portal Account Types Compared

Different trade participants use ACE differently. Here is a breakdown of the main account types and their capabilities:

Most small importers interact with ACE only through their customs broker’s filings. Larger importers — particularly those processing 500+ entries per year — often maintain their own ACE accounts to monitor shipment status, run reports, and manage compliance directly.

The Regulatory Framework Behind ACE

ACE’s legal foundation runs through several layers of federal law and CBP regulation:

• 19 USC 1484 — establishes the importer of record’s legal responsibility to make entry and pay duties within required timeframes
• 19 USC 1592 — governs penalties for material false statements or omissions in CBP filings, including ACE submissions. Negligent violations can result in penalties up to the domestic value of the merchandise; fraudulent violations can result in penalties up to four times the unpaid duties
• 19 CFR Part 149 — the regulatory authority for Importer Security Filing (ISF/10+2 requirements)
• 19 CFR Part 143 — governs the types of entries that can be filed and who may file them
• 19 CFR Part 111 — establishes licensing requirements for customs brokers who file in ACE on behalf of importers

ACE also serves as the technology layer for CBP’s Single Window initiative, implementing the World Customs Organization’s (WCO) data standards and aligning U.S. trade procedures with international frameworks.

For HTS code classification — a critical input into every ACE entry — the definitive reference is hts.usitc.gov, maintained by the U.S. International Trade Commission.

Real-World Scenarios: ACE in Practice

Scenario 1: The E-Commerce Importer

A small business importing 500 units of electronics from Shenzhen via ocean freight hires a licensed customs broker. The broker uses ACE to file the ISF 30 hours before the vessel departs Shanghai. At arrival in Los Angeles, the broker submits a formal entry (Type 01) through ACE. The ATS clears the shipment as low-risk within four hours. The importer pays a 2.6% tariff on the declared value plus an MPF of $32.71. The goods are trucked to a warehouse the next morning.

Brokers handling electronics shipments through major ports like Los Angeles can be found by browsing brokers by port of entry or by specialty.

Scenario 2: The FDA Hold

A food and beverage importer submits an entry in ACE for a shipment of bottled sauces from Vietnam. ACE routes the filing to FDA’s Operational and Administrative System for Import Support (OASIS). The FDA flags the product for prior notice review because the manufacturer has not been registered with the FDA as required under 21 USC 350d. CBP issues a hold in ACE. The importer works with their broker to submit the missing manufacturer registration. The hold is lifted after three business days, but the shipment incurred additional warehousing costs.

This kind of PGA complexity is exactly why specialty brokers matter. Importers of food products can browse food and beverage specialty brokers to find brokers experienced in FDA regulatory requirements.

Scenario 3: Post-Summary Correction

An importer’s broker files an entry summary in ACE with an incorrect HTS code — classifying a textile product under 6110 instead of 6104, resulting in an underpayment of duties. Before CBP liquidates the entry, the broker submits a Post-Summary Correction (PSC) in ACE. CBP accepts the PSC, the importer pays the correct duty amount, and no penalty is assessed. Had the error been discovered after liquidation, a protest under 19 USC 1514 would have been required instead.

Common Mistakes in ACE Filings

Even experienced trade professionals make avoidable errors in ACE. These are the mistakes that cause the most delays and penalties:

1. Incorrect HTS classification. Assigning the wrong 10-digit HTS code affects the duty rate, quota applicability, and PGA routing. If you are unsure of a classification, request a binding ruling from CBP at rulings.cbp.gov before filing.

2. Late or incomplete ISF submission. ISF must be filed 24 hours before vessel departure — not 24 hours before arrival. Filing at arrival is already too late and triggers automatic penalty exposure.

3. Incorrect country of origin declaration. Country of origin determines duty rates, particularly for goods subject to Section 301 tariffs (China), antidumping duties, or USMCA preference claims. Misrepresenting country of origin is a 19 USC 1592 violation. Check active antidumping and countervailing duty orders at enforcement.trade.gov/adcvd.

4. Undervaluing merchandise. Declared customs value must reflect transaction value per 19 CFR Part 152 — the price actually paid or payable for the goods, plus certain additions (assists, royalties, proceeds). Omitting assists or using artificially low invoice values is a common audit trigger.

5. Missing or expired customs bond. Formal entries require a continuous bond (or single-entry bond). A lapsed bond causes ACE to reject the entry filing entirely. Importers filing 10+ formal entries per year typically benefit from a continuous bond rather than paying per-shipment single-entry bond premiums.

6. Skipping the Power of Attorney. A broker cannot legally file in ACE on your behalf without a valid, signed POA on file. Using a broker without formalizing a POA creates liability exposure for both parties under 19 CFR Part 141.

Tools and Resources for ACE Users

For importers who want to understand how warehousing and third-party logistics interact with customs clearance in ACE workflows, the guide on 3PL with customs clearance and warehousing covers how bonded warehouse entries, in-bond movements, and customs holds affect your supply chain timeline.

The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) also offers training resources for importers and brokers learning to navigate ACE compliance requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ACE Portal in customs?

The ACE (Automated Commercial Environment) Portal is CBP’s centralized online platform for processing and managing all U.S. import and export trade data. It