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 reported on day one.

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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.

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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."

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 ACH payment for the monthly statement that included this entry hasn't fully cleared yet. The entry is too recent – the billing cycle for that period is still open.

What to do: Wait 2–3 days and resubmit that entry in a new Declaration. Once the statement payment 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.

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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.

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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.

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 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.