US Customs and Border Protection is instigating a refund process which may require affected companies to register directly within the ACE Portal.
Because there is a registration deadline attached to this process, importers should review the requirements as soon as possible and take any necessary action without delay.
What this means
Based on the information received, companies may need to complete the registration themselves in order to participate in the refund process.
Where ACE Portal access is not already in place, this may need to be set up before the registration can be completed.
Official CBP links
The official CBP guidance can be found here:
ACE Portal and ACH Refunds FAQs
https://www.cbp.gov/trade/automated/ace-portal-and-ach-refunds-faqs
ACH Refund Information
https://www.cbp.gov/trade/automated/ach/refund
ACE Portal setup process
Below is an overview of the ACE account setup process.
1. Submit the initial request
Use the automated form to provide the IR number, company name, and requester’s email address.
2. System validation checks
The system will verify that:
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the requester’s email address is not already associated with an existing ACE Portal trade user
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the IR number and company name match an existing 5106 importer record in the ACE Portal
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a current and valid Point of Contact email address exists in the 5106 importer record
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the importer record is not already linked to a top account
3. Validation errors
If an error occurs, guidance relating to the validation issue will be displayed in the automated form.
4. Verification code issued
For a valid request, the system sends an email with guidance and a verification code to the Point of Contact email listed in the 5106 importer record.
5. Point of Contact coordination required
The importer record Point of Contact must coordinate with the account requester to provide the verification code.
Please note that the verification code is only valid for 10 minutes.
6. Enter the verification code
The requester enters the verification code into the automated form and submits it.
7. Invalid code handling
If the verification code is invalid, an error message will appear in the automated form.
8. Additional account details
If the verification code is valid, additional fields for the remaining account information will then be displayed.
9. Submit the account request
The requester completes the remaining information, accepts the terms and conditions, and submits the account creation request.
10. Account creation
The system creates the top account, provisions the requester as the Trade Account Owner, and creates the importer view for the IR number provided.
11. Confirmation emails
The system then sends:
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an email confirming that the importer view access request has been processed
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an email with user information and directions for accessing the ACE Portal
Supporting guidance PDF
You can download the PDF guidance here:
Need help?
If you have questions on the process, please contact your usual RIF Worldwide representative.