Hello Customers, Colleagues, and Friends,
The following information comes directly from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Trade Relations.
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), and CSMS 67270895, Electronic Refunds Interim Final Rule Effective February 6, 2026, issued January 2, 2026.
To prepare for February 6, CBP strongly encourages the trade community to review CBP’s extensive resources (see below) related to the transition to all electronic refunds (subject to limited exceptions) and take any necessary action. Links to these resources can also be found on the main ACE webpage.
CBP Resources: ACE Portal Access and ACH Refund Enrollment
- NEW! ACE Portal and ACH Refunds FAQs
- Reference Sheet: ACH Refund Enrollment Overview
- January/February User Support Call Information: ACH Refund Enrollment Support Call Schedule
- Information Notice: ACE Portal Updates to Enable Electronic Refund Enrollment
- Information Notice: Automated ACE Portal Application for Importer Accounts
- Information Notice: ACE Portal Feature for Trade Users to Add Notify Parties
- Training Guide: ACH Refund Enrollment in the ACE Portal
- Training Guide: ACE Portal Feature to Add Notify Parties
The modernization of refund issuance from paper checks to ACH aligns with Executive Order 14247, Modernizing Payments To and From America’s Bank Account, which directs federal agencies to transition to electronic refunds for all federal disbursements and receipts to the extent permitted by law.
For questions regarding this transition, please contact our team!
Sincerely, Your friends at Krenz & Hannan International