- Effective 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).
- This rule will require trade members to set up ACE Portal accounts and to submit ACH banking information in the ACE Portal so that CBP can issue ACH refunds instead of mailing refunds as U.S. Treasury checks.
- Importers without a U.S. bank account must either open a U.S. bank account or designate your customs broker with a U.S. bank account consistent with 31 U.S.C. 3332(g)
- Once an application for ACH Refund is successfully submitted and approved in the ACE Portal, all future refunds will be issued electronically to the designated U.S. bank account (i.e., either the U.S. bank account of the importer or the U.S. bank account of the designated customs broker listed on CBP Form 4811).
- Failure to provide CBP with the requisite ACH banking information will result in a certified refund being rejected
- If CBP certifies a refund for issuance but is unable to deliver an electronic refund, either to the importer or to a designated customs broker, solely due to failure to provide CBP with the necessary banking information to effectuate the electronic refund, the refund will be rejected and no interest will accrue under19 U.S.C. 1505(d).
- For rejected refunds, an importer must complete the ACH Refund application and notify CBP’s Refunds Team at frn-achrefundsupport@cbp.dhs.gov to confirm the application’s completion and request that the rejected refunds be issued and delivered to the designated bank account
- For importers and other parties who may receive CBP-issued refunds after February 5, 2026, review CBP’s Electronic Refund Enrollment Reference Sheet and take any necessary steps to ensure readiness for this mandatory transition
For additional details, view our Frequently Asked Questions Document.
Due to the rapidly changing application and modifications of duty rates, please note that Deringer is not responsible for coordinating the timing of U.S. entry and imposed tariff rates.
