CAPE Phase 1 is open·Form 19 deadline: Aug 2026·Updated Apr 20, 2026
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HTS Relationship/Sequence Mismatch — CAPE Rejection on FTZ Type 06 Entries

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TL;DR — Self-filing FTZ operators are seeing CAPE rejections on their weekly Type 06 entries starting the week of April 21. The same entries may have first shown UNABLE TO CALCULATE DUTY, then switched to HTS RELATIONSHIP/SEQUENCE MISMATCH. This is a CBP system issue, not a data problem on your end. Email IEEPARefunds@cbp.dhs.gov with your entry numbers and monitor for a CSMS update.

What's Happening

Starting the week of April 21, 2026, some self-filing FTZ operators submitting CAPE Declarations are seeing rejections on their weekly Type 06 (FTZ) entries — specifically one or both of these errors:

  • UNABLE TO CALCULATE DUTY — appearing Monday through Thursday on certain Type 06 entries
  • HTS RELATIONSHIP/SEQUENCE MISMATCH — appearing on those same entries a day or two later, after a CBP system update

Multiple filers report the same sequence on the same entries. And the part that makes this particularly confusing: other Type 06 entries from the same CAPE Declaration are accepted without issue. There is no visible difference between the entries that pass and the entries that get the rejection.

This is not documented in the CBP CAPE FAQ as of April 24, 2026.

What the Error Means

In ACE, HTS RELATIONSHIP/SEQUENCE MISMATCH means the system cannot validate the order or relationship of HTS codes on an entry during processing. For standard consumption entries, CAPE removes the IEEPA Chapter 99 HTS lines and recalculates duties — a straightforward operation. Weekly FTZ Type 06 entries have a different internal data structure, and the CAPE processing engine is running into a conflict on certain entries when it attempts that same removal.

The fact that identical-looking 06 entries are split between accepted and rejected — with no visible pattern — points to a CBP system-side issue, not a formatting or data problem in your CAPE Declaration. Filers have noted that CBP appears to be actively working on the programming.

What to Do Right Now

1. Email CBP with your specifics.

Send to: IEEPARefunds@cbp.dhs.gov For ACE technical issues: ace.support@cbp.dhs.gov or call 866-530-4172

Keep it short:

  • Your IOR EIN
  • The rejected entry numbers
  • The exact error text (HTS RELATIONSHIP/SEQUENCE MISMATCH)
  • Whether those same entries previously showed UNABLE TO CALCULATE DUTY

You're creating a paper trail and flagging your specific entries to the right team.

2. Don't re-submit yet.

Each entry can only appear on one accepted CAPE Declaration. Submitting before the fix is in place risks a duplicate rejection that will complicate your filing. Wait for a CSMS update or direct confirmation from CBP before resubmitting the rejected entries.

3. Subscribe to CSMS if you haven't.

CBP publishes ACE fixes via CSMS messages. When this is resolved, there will be a message. Subscribe at cbp.gov/trade/automated/cargo-systems-messaging-service.

4. Your refund is not lost.

A processing rejection in CAPE does not cancel your entitlement. CBP is required by court order to refund all valid IEEPA duties. Once the system issue is resolved, your entries will be reprocessed with interest accruing from the original payment date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I need to resubmit a new CAPE Declaration? Likely yes, for the rejected entries only. Once CBP resolves the issue, you would submit a new Declaration containing only those entry numbers. Do not re-include entries that were already accepted — each entry can only appear on one accepted Declaration.

Is this affecting all FTZ Type 06 entries? Not all. Some Type 06 entries are being accepted normally in the same CAPE submission. Filers report no visible difference between accepted and rejected entries within the same batch, which points to a system-side inconsistency rather than a data error.

My entries first showed UNABLE TO CALCULATE DUTY, now this. Are they the same problem? Almost certainly yes. Multiple filers report the same sequence: UNABLE TO CALCULATE DUTY early in the week, then HTS RELATIONSHIP/SEQUENCE MISMATCH on the same entries days later after a CBP system update. The shifting error message suggests the underlying issue changed but was not fully resolved.

Is there a deadline I need to worry about? CAPE Phase 1 has no published closing date. The risk isn't a hard deadline — it's that every week of delay is interest not yet accruing toward your final payment. Flagging your entries to CBP now keeps you in the queue.

What's the right email to contact CBP on this? For technical refund questions: IEEPARefunds@cbp.dhs.gov. For ACE system issues: ace.support@cbp.dhs.gov. General trade inquiries: traderelations@cbp.dhs.gov.