U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has released instructions for the new CAPE refund processing system, which is scheduled to go live on Monday, April 20, 2026.
A new tab labeled “CAPE” will be added to your ACE Portal account. Based on the guidance provided, importers will need to download the CAPE Upload Template. You will then copy all relevant entry numbers from your ES-003 report into the template, ensuring that any duplicate entries are identified and removed.
Please note that the file must be saved in .csv format, as uploads in any other format will be rejected by the system. Once completed, the file can be uploaded to CAPE to initiate the refund process.
Below are the step-by-step instructions issued by CBP, along with the corresponding CSMS message distributed by U.S. Customs.
CAPE Instructions | CSMS message #68315804
As the system is not yet live, CV International has not had the opportunity to fully review or test the program. We will be hosting a webinar next week following the system launch and after our internal review is complete.
John Boomhover, LCB
Director of Compliance & Customs Services
CV International, Inc.