A major change has taken place at Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and it could have a significant effect on your business. CBP is no longer issuing paper cheques, and importers will now receive all CBP refunds electronically using the CBP Automated Clearing House (ACH) in conjunction with the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) portal. For most, this will likely be a simplification of the process and one with less opportunity for human error. After all, it’s far less likely that a cheque gets lost in the mail or forgotten about when it is deposited directly into your account. 

With that said, for some importers who have been hesitant to register or become familiar with ACH or ACE, this is a great opportunity to get started and reap the benefits of registration for both. In today’s blog, we are going to cover everything you need to prepare for this process change and offer assistance if you are unfamiliar with ACE or ACH or have not yet registered for them.  

What Does This Mean for You?

Put simply, in the vast majority of cases, all importers must enroll in both ACE and the ACH program to receive refunds from CBP. Fortunately, the benefits of these systems are many, not the least of which is that you won’t have to contend with the whims of paper mail delivery. In the large number of standard cases, refunds will arrive in your account two or three days after the liquidation date of your import, as opposed to the weeks often afforded for mail refunds. 

In addition to ACH, you need to be registered in the ACE portal, as it provides key overviews and insights into your activity as an importer, and also houses your ACH refund authorization information.

It has been a mainstay program for importers of all shapes and sizes for years, and PCB can provide you with assistance and guidance with the portal, including assistance with reporting functionalities when you are set up.

If you are not yet set up in the ACE Portal or ACH, now is the time to do so. 

Notably, it is important to note that any future International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariff refunds will be managed through these two systems in some capacity when that system is revealed. 

If you expect to benefit from these forthcoming refunds, registration in these programs should be high on your list of priorities.

The CBP Automated Clearing House

If you are already registered and receiving funds through ACH, then there is nothing to do but confirm your current ACH refund authorization information in the ACE portal. For assistance with that process, should you need it, the CBP has prepared a document to guide you through the process.  

For others, this may require doing something you've been putting off for a while, namely, registering for ACH. Admittedly, getting set up in the ACH is not always the most straightforward, but the benefits are myriad - even beyond receiving refunds directly from CBP. ACH offers greater financial control over your imports, helps manage your payments, and can even reduce costs by eliminating or reducing disbursement fees. 

If you are interested in a deeper dive into ACH, PCB has discussed the benefits of registering for ACH at length, and it remains one of the best ways to streamline and simplify one of the more complicated elements of importing. 

Government Resources

To help importers transition to fully electronic refunds, CBP has made several resources available to assist with the registration process. 

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• ACE Portal and ACH Refunds FAQs
• Reference Sheet: ACH Refund Enrollment Overview
• 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

How We Can Help

PCB can also offer support during this transition in a few key ways. In addition to the standard assistance offered by our team of tenured brokers, including assistance with the ACE portal, we also offer our full suite of Trade Advisory Services, including ACH Support, which is designed to ensure you interface well with the program and meet all the technical CBP ACH refund requirements. 

Our ACH Support Service also provides many benefits for those importers just getting started with the clearinghouse, including digital walk-throughs of the registration process, assistance with payment processes, monthly transaction reports, and access to our experts for any questions or concerns you may have. 

With this refund process now in full effect, this is the moment to get yourself set up in ACE and with ACH. With potential IEEPA refunds on the horizon, you are encouraged to investigate our Trade Advisory and ACH offerings for any help we can provide to help set you up for success when that process is finalized. 

Be sure to download our ACH Payments and Setup Guide for more information about the system and how PCB can help you make the most of it.