CAPE Error Codes Explained: What They Mean and How to Fix Them

TL;DR – Most CAPE errors on April 20, 2026 were server load issues that resolved on retry. Persistent errors fall into two categories: entry-level rejections (the entry can't be refunded in Phase 1) and account-level errors (something about your ACE account doesn't match the entry). This guide covers every error code and status message reported from day one through the first week of Phase 1.

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Before You Panic

The CAPE system processed tens of thousands of Declarations on April 20, 2026. Most errors in the first few hours were server-side – CBP's systems were under enormous load. If you got an error, try resubmitting before concluding there's a real problem with your entries.

The key question is whether your error is:

A server/load error – temporary, resolves on retry. Try again in 30–60 minutes or early the next morning before US business hours start.

An entry-level error – CBP rejected one or more specific entries. The rest of your Declaration still processes. You'll get a summary file showing which entries failed and why.

An account error – something about your ACE account configuration doesn't match what CBP has on record for the entry.

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Server and Load Errors

JMS Processing Exception

Full error: "Unable to process this request at the time. Uncategorized exception occurred during JMS processing."

What it means: JMS (Java Message Service) is the backend queuing system CBP uses to process Declaration uploads. This error means the queue was overloaded – your Declaration never actually got into the processing pipeline.

What to do: Wait 30–60 minutes and resubmit. If you get it again, try early morning the next day. Multiple importers on April 20 reported getting this error 5–7 times before it finally went through. Your entries are not lost – nothing was processed yet.

How to confirm: If a claim number appears in the Claims tab in ACE Portal, your Declaration was actually accepted despite the error message. The UI timeout is separate from the processing pipeline. If no claim number appears, nothing went through and you should retry.

CAPE High Volumes Message

Full message: "CAPE processing is currently experiencing high volumes. If you received an error, please try again in 30 minutes."

What it means: CBP's systems are overloaded. This message appears directly in the CAPE tab.

What to do: Wait 30 minutes and try again. This is temporary and resolves on its own.

Claim Status: Not Started

What it means: You submitted a Declaration, received a claim number in the Claims tab, but the Claim Status column shows "Not Started." This is not an error — it's a queue state. Your Declaration entered the processing pipeline but CBP's batch processing hasn't picked it up yet.

How long it lasts: Based on community reports from the first days of Phase 1, "Not Started" typically updates to "Accepted" or shows entry-level results within hours to a couple of days. CBP processes Declarations in batches, not in real time. During peak load in the first week of CAPE, some importers saw "Not Started" persist for 24–48 hours before updating. CBP has not published a formal SLA for this step.

What to do: Nothing. Do not resubmit — that would create a second Declaration and could cause entry-level duplicate errors. Monitor the Claims tab periodically. When the status updates, download the Claim Details file to see acceptance or rejection status for each entry.

How to confirm your Declaration is in the system: A claim number in the Claims tab is the definitive confirmation. If a claim number exists, your Declaration was received by CBP regardless of what "Not Started" shows.

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Entry-Level Rejections

These errors appear in the Claim Details summary file you download after upload. They apply to specific entries within your Declaration, not the whole Declaration. Unaffected entries in the same file still process normally.

Unable to Calculate Duty

What it means: CBP cannot complete the duty recalculation for this entry in Phase 1. The most common cause is Extended liquidation status – the entry has been granted a liquidation extension, meaning CBP can't finalize the duty calculation until the extension period ends.

What to do: Don't worry about this one. CBP's official guidance confirms that entries with Extended, Suspended, or Under Review status are accepted in CAPE Phase 1, but the refund is issued when the entry eventually liquidates – not on the standard 60–90 day timeline. The entry is still in the system. You don't need to refile it.

Official CBP language: "Entry summaries that are suspended, extended, or under review will maintain their liquidation status until resolved and the refund, if validated, will be issued at liquidation."

Important exception — regular Type 01 entries: Field reports from the first week of CAPE indicate this error is also appearing on standard Type 01 entries that are not extended, suspended, or under Section 232. CBP has not documented this behavior. If you receive this error on a straightforward unliquidated or recently-liquidated entry with no special status, do not assume it will resolve on its own. Email IEEPARefunds@cbp.dhs.gov with the entry number and the exact error message. Include whether the entry is Type 01 and its current liquidation status.

Entry Summary in Final Liquidation

What it means: This entry was liquidated more than 80 days before you submitted your Declaration. Phase 1 only covers entries liquidated within the preceding 80 days. This entry is out of scope for CAPE Phase 1.

What to do: Check when this entry liquidated. If liquidation was within the past 180 days, you still have a Form 19 protest option. See Form 19 Protest Guide for deadlines and instructions. If liquidation was more than 180 days ago, there's no remaining path through CBP.

Statement Processing Not Complete

What it means: The periodic statement (the batched duty payment cycle for that entry) hasn't fully closed in ACE yet. This happens most often with very recent entries – March or April 2026 shipments – or entries with a pending PSC. The billing cycle for that period is still open.

This error has nothing to do with your ACH settings. Do not touch your bank account configuration in ACE Portal. The issue is purely on CBP's processing side — your ACH enrollment is not the cause and changing it will not help.

What to do: Wait 2–3 business days and resubmit that entry in a new Declaration. Once the statement cycle clears, the entry becomes eligible. Do not refile the entries that succeeded – only the ones that got this error.

9903.03.xx Code Rejected

What it means: You included entries with HTS codes starting 9903.03.xx. These are Section 122 surcharges – a separate 10% tariff that went into effect February 24, 2026. Section 122 is entirely separate from IEEPA and is not refundable through CAPE. CBP's system correctly rejects these entries.

What to do: Remove any entries that only contain 9903.03.xx codes. If an entry has both IEEPA codes (9903.01.xx or 9903.02.xx) and Section 122 codes (9903.03.xx), CAPE will remove only the IEEPA portion and leave the Section 122 duties in place.

No IEEPA HTS on Entry

What it means: CBP does not see a 9903.01.xx or 9903.02.xx subheading on this entry. Phase 1 only covers IEEPA duties – entries without those codes are rejected.

Two common causes:

The entry genuinely has no IEEPA duties. Some entries during the IEEPA period were exempt, cleared before the tariffs took effect, or fall under HTS chapters that weren't subject to IEEPA. Pull the ES-003 for the specific entry and check the HTS lines to confirm.

IEEPA was filed as FREE under the 10-digit HTS instead of as a separate Chapter 99 line. In some cases brokers filed IEEPA duties embedded in the base rate rather than as a distinct 9903.01 or 9903.02 addition. This is a classification issue your broker needs to review. Note that if you've already submitted a CAPE Declaration for that entry, PSCs are blocked (see Error Code 864 below) – so contact your broker before submitting.

What to do: Confirm the entry has IEEPA duties by checking the HTS codes in your ES-003. If it does and was filed incorrectly, talk to your broker. If it genuinely has no IEEPA duties, this rejection is correct.

Entry on Drawback

What it means: This entry has an active drawback claim against it. Drawback is a separate program that allows refunds when imported goods are later exported – and it's incompatible with CAPE Phase 1.

What to do: CBP may address drawback entries in a later phase. For now this entry won't process through CAPE. If you have significant amounts tied up in drawback entries, email IEEPARefunds@cbp.dhs.gov with the entry numbers to ask about Phase 2 coverage.

Rejected by Batch Validation

What it means: Per the official CBP CAPE Quick Reference Guide (April 2026): the entry number either does not exist in ACE or is not associated with the correct IOR number for the account submitting the Declaration.

Unlike entry-level errors, this one fires at the batch level before individual entry validation runs. It means CBP couldn't match the entry number to the IOR on your ACE account.

Common causes:

IOR mismatch between the entry and your ACE account. Pull the CF-7501 for the failing entries and compare the Importer of Record number (EIN or CBP-assigned importer number) against how that entity is registered in ACE. Even a small discrepancy causes this rejection while other entities in the same batch go through fine.

Entry number genuinely doesn't exist under your account. If entry numbers were pulled from invoices rather than directly from an ACE ES-003 report, some may belong to a different IOR entirely. Confirm the entries appear in your ES-003 under the correct EIN before resubmitting.

Excel ate your leading zeros. This is more common than it sounds. Excel automatically strips leading zeros from numeric-looking strings. If your entry number starts with a zero — for example 0123456789-0 — and you opened your ES-003 in Excel before copying the entry numbers into your CAPE CSV, Excel may have quietly converted it to 123456789-0. That 10-character number doesn't exist in ACE, so the batch rejects. Fix: always pull entry numbers directly from ACE ES-003 export without opening the CSV in Excel first, or use the Entry Number Formatter to verify your numbers are correctly formatted before uploading. If you must use Excel, format the column as Text before pasting the entry numbers — not after.

What to do: Cross-check the IOR number on the CF-7501 against your ACE account registration for that entity. If the numbers match and the error persists, email IEEPARefunds@cbp.dhs.gov with the entity name, EIN, and several of the failing entry numbers.

Source: CBP ACE Portal CAPE Declarations Quick Reference Guide, April 2026.

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Other Reported Errors

GOODS VALUE AMOUNT NOT ALLOWED ON IEEPA HTS LINE

Also reported as: "IEEPA HTS number cannot have a 'GDS_VAL_AMT' greater than zero."

What it means: The entered value (goods value) of your imported merchandise is sitting on the IEEPA Chapter 99 HTS line — 9903.01.xx or 9903.02.xx — instead of on the underlying Chapter 1–97 commodity line where it belongs. Per CBP (CSMS #68340863, item k): "The entered value of the imported product reported on the entry summary line should be reported on the Chapter 1-97 HTS classification, unless Chapter 98 reporting provisions require the entered value to be reported differently."

Why it happens: This is a filing issue on the original entry summary. When the entry was filed, the goods value field ended up associated with the IEEPA tariff line instead of the primary commodity line (e.g., 8471.30, 6110.20).

Rejected vs. accepted — critical distinction. This error means your entry was rejected — not accepted into CAPE. A rejected entry does not trigger the PSC block (Error Code 864 only applies to accepted entries). Check your Claim Status before doing anything:

• If the entry shows "ENTRY SUMMARY UPDATED" in the Claim Details file → it was accepted, and PSC is now blocked on that entry until liquidation.
• If the entry shows this goods value error → it was rejected, and you have a path forward via PSC.

What to do:

1. File a Post Summary Correction (PSC) on the original entry to move the goods value from the IEEPA Chapter 99 line to the correct Chapter 1–97 commodity line. Important: frame this PSC as a correction of a data error — not as an IEEPA refund request. CBP prohibits PSCs filed to initiate IEEPA refunds (CSMS #68340863); correcting a misplaced goods value is a different and permitted use.
2. Wait for CBP to process the PSC.
3. Resubmit that entry in a new, separate CAPE Declaration.

If you're unsure: Email IEEPARefunds@cbp.dhs.gov with your entry number and the error message before filing the PSC.

CBP source: CSMS #68340863, item k (April 13, 2026).

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HTS RELATIONSHIP/SEQUENCE MISMATCH

What it means: CBP's validation logic found an inconsistency in how the IEEPA Chapter 99 code is sequenced with the underlying Chapter 1–97 commodity code on your entry summary. This error has appeared predominantly on FTZ weekly entries (Type 06 withdrawals), though not exclusively.

Why it happens: These entries were correctly accepted at the time of original filing. CBP's CAPE validation runs different logic than the original acceptance check. Multiple brokers filing self-filing FTZ weekly entries have reported receiving this rejection on entries that were accepted without issue at import time.

Status as of April 25, 2026: This error code is not in CBP's published FAQ and has no documented workaround. The issue is on CBP's side — not in your CSV. Do not resubmit the same file. Community members expect this type to be addressed in a future CAPE phase, though no official confirmation or timeline exists.

What to do:

1. Email IEEPARefunds@cbp.dhs.gov with your specific entry numbers and the exact error message text.
2. Request written confirmation that CBP has received and logged your case.
3. Monitor CSMS notifications for official guidance on this error.

Contact: IEEPARefunds@cbp.dhs.gov — include entry numbers, the error text verbatim, and whether the entries are FTZ Type 06.

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After Acceptance: What "Entry Summary Updated" Means

If your Claim Details file shows "Accepted / Entry Summary Updated" for an entry, you're done. There's no further action required on your side.

What this status means in practice:

• CBP has accepted the entry into the CAPE process
• The IEEPA HTS code lines have been flagged for removal
• The entry has entered CBP's reliquidation queue

The duty amounts in ACE won't show zero yet. That update happens at actual reliquidation, not at acceptance. If you check your entry in ACE right now and still see the original IEEPA duties, that's normal. The zero-duty version posts when the entry reliquidates — which for unliquidated entries is targeted for 45 days after acceptance.

You won't see another ACE status until liquidation. "Entry Summary Updated" is the last status you'll see in the Claims tab until CBP processes the actual reliquidation and issues a Bulletin Notice of Liquidation. That notice is what triggers the refund payment through ACH. CBP's stated timeframe from acceptance to payment is 60–90 days.

For tracking status after acceptance, use the REV-615 Trade CAPE Detail Refund Report and ES-701 Courtesy Notice of Liquidation Report — not the Claims tab, which stops updating after acceptance.

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Account-Level Errors

Account Mismatch

What it means: The IOR number (EIN, SSN, or CBP importer number) listed on the entry in CBP's system does not match the IOR number registered on your ACE account. This is not a name issue – it's a number mismatch.

Common causes:

UPS or FedEx as actual IOR. If you pull entry numbers from UPS or FedEx invoices without checking your ES-003 first, you may be submitting entries where UPS or FedEx is actually the IOR – not you. Pull your ES-003 report and confirm whether those entry numbers appear under your EIN. If they don't appear in your ES-003, you are not the IOR on those entries and cannot file CAPE for them.

Sole proprietor DBA mismatch. If your ACE account is registered as "Jane Smith DBA JMS Trading" but the entry was filed under your SSN without the DBA name, the system may not match them. In this case, your IOR number is correct but the account configuration needs adjustment. Contact IEEPARefunds@cbp.dhs.gov with your EIN and the entry numbers in question.

Broker filed the entry. If a licensed customs broker filed the original entry, the broker is the only entity that can file the CAPE Declaration for those entries – not you. Contact your broker and ask them to include your entries in their next CAPE batch.

What to do:

1. Pull your ES-003 first. If the entries don't appear in your ES-003 under your EIN, you're not the IOR – stop there.
2. If the entries are in your ES-003 and the mismatch persists, email IEEPARefunds@cbp.dhs.gov with your EIN, ACE account number, and the specific entry numbers.

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PSC-Related Error

Error Code 864 – PSC Not Allowed

Full message: "PSC NOT ALLOWED – REFUND REQUESTED. PSC is not allowed due to a CAPE Refund in process."

What it means: You're trying to file a Post Summary Correction (PSC) on an entry that's already in an accepted CAPE Declaration. CSMS #68397097 introduced this restriction: once a CAPE Declaration is accepted for an entry, all PSC filings on that entry are blocked until the entry liquidates.

This is not a filing error from CAPE itself – it appears when you try to file a PSC in ACE after the CAPE submission.

Why it matters: The block applies to the entire entry – not just the IEEPA lines. You can't PSC to fix other duties, correct classification errors, or change any other data on that entry. The entry is locked until liquidation.

What to do: You should have audited and corrected any entry data issues before submitting to CAPE. If you missed something, your options are limited: wait until the entry liquidates and file a protest if applicable, or contact IEEPARefunds@cbp.dhs.gov to ask whether there's an exception process for your specific situation.

The lesson: Audit your entries completely before submitting to CAPE. Any classification corrections, valuation updates, or other duty changes need to happen first.

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ACE Login Errors

Error Code 42

Your ACE account has been deactivated due to inactivity. Since CAPE launched, ACE has been shortening the inactivity window significantly – accounts that used to stay active for 30 days are now being deactivated within days due to system load.

Fix: Call ACE Support. To prevent recurrence, log in at least every few days and clear your browser cache before each session. Use Edge browser – it's been more stable than Chrome or Firefox during the CAPE surge period.

Error Code 41

Different from Error Code 42. Error Code 41 means your account needs to be manually reactivated by CBP – not just unlocked by ACE Support. The full message reads: "ApexT2JIT_LoginJITServiceImpl:T2JIT_Exception: Error: please contact ACE Support to have your user reactivated."

Fix: Call ACE Support and specifically mention Error Code 41 and the reactivation requirement. This takes longer than a standard Error 42 unlock. There's no self-service path.

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Internal Error but Claim Number Exists

This isn't an error code – it's a confusing UI state. You get an error message during upload, but when you navigate to the Claims tab in ACE Portal, you see a claim number.

What happened: Your Declaration was successfully submitted and is being processed. The "internal error" was a UI timeout – the browser stopped waiting for the server response before the job completed in the background. The processing pipeline and the UI are separate.

What to do: Do not resubmit. Navigate to the Claims tab and download the Claim Details file (page 9 of the CBP Quick Reference Guide explains how to read it). It will show the status of each entry. The file is your authoritative record of what was accepted and what was rejected.

Frequently Asked Questions

I got a JMS error and then it worked on retry – did anything go wrong? No. JMS errors before successful submission just mean your earlier attempts didn't enter the processing pipeline. Once you see a claim number, that submission is the one that counts. Prior failed attempts left no record.

My Claim Status has been "Not Started" for two days. Should I resubmit? No. Do not resubmit — that creates a second Declaration which can cause duplicate-entry errors when the first one processes. "Not Started" means CBP's batch hasn't picked up your Declaration yet. It will update. Based on Phase 1 experience, this can take up to 48 hours during peak load. A claim number in the Claims tab confirms your Declaration is in the system.

Can I remove a successfully-submitted Declaration if I made a mistake? No. Once a CAPE Declaration is submitted and accepted, it cannot be withdrawn or modified. If you missed entries, create a new Declaration for those. If you included an entry that shouldn't have been there, contact IEEPARefunds@cbp.dhs.gov.

My Declaration shows "accepted with errors" – does that mean it failed? No. "Accepted with errors" means the Declaration file itself was accepted but some individual entries within it failed validation. The rest of your entries process normally. Download the Claim Details file to see which entries were rejected and why.

How do I find out if my refund is on track? Run the REV-615 Trade CAPE Detail Refund Report in ACE Portal – it's the dedicated CAPE refund status report. If you see entries in the REV-613 report, those are rejected ACH payments due to missing bank enrollment. See How to Verify Your IEEPA Refund for a full walkthrough of both reports.

The duty amounts on my accepted entries still show the IEEPA duties in ACE. Is something wrong? No. The duty amounts don't update to zero at acceptance — they update at actual reliquidation, which for unliquidated entries is targeted 45 days after acceptance. Seeing old IEEPA duty amounts in ACE after a successful CAPE submission is normal and expected.

CAPE says my entry number is "not 11 characters long" but it is. What's happening? Almost always an Excel formatting issue. When you format cells as Text in Excel after data is already entered, Excel can add invisible leading or trailing spaces that don't show in the cell but exist in the raw file. Fix: in a blank column next to your entry numbers, use =TRIM(A1) on each row, then copy and paste those trimmed values as plain text into your CSV. Also check for leading apostrophes that Excel uses to force text format – those count as characters even though they're not visible.

Does the entry number need a dash after the filer code? No. Per CBP guidance and confirmed by brokers who filed successfully both ways, the dash is optional. CAPE accepts both formats. If you're getting format rejections, the issue is more likely invisible spaces or characters rather than the dash itself.