What's the difference between file validation and entry validation in CAPE?

File validation runs the moment you upload the .CSV. It checks that the file is well-formed: correct delimiter, exactly one entry number per row, 11-digit format, no duplicates, file size under 1 MB. If the file fails this check, the entire Declaration is rejected and nothing reaches CBP. Entry validation runs after file validation passes and CBP processes each entry against ACE. This is where the 19 entry-level error messages in this guide are returned, on a per-entry basis. A Declaration can be 'Accepted with errors' — meaning the file was good but specific entries inside it were rejected.

If a CAPE Declaration is 'Accepted with errors,' do I refile the whole thing or just the rejected entries?

Just the rejected entries. The accepted entries are locked in and cannot be resubmitted (CBP returns a duplicate-entry rejection if you try). Take the rejected-entries list from the validation result file, fix the underlying issue in ACE, and submit a new CAPE Declaration containing only the corrected entries plus any others not previously submitted. See our guide on what to do when CAPE shows accepted with errors.

How long do I have to fix and refile rejected CAPE entries?

Phase 1 has no published cutoff date for refiling. However, two practical clocks matter: (1) the 80-day reliquidation window — entries liquidated more than 80 days ago will get the ENTRY SUMMARY IS IN FINAL LIQUIDATION STATUS error and become CAPE-ineligible, and (2) the 180-day protest deadline under 19 USC § 1514, which keeps running regardless of CAPE. If your entry is rejected for a reason that takes weeks to resolve (e.g., open protest withdrawal), file a protest in parallel to preserve rights.

Where do I find the full validation result file after a CAPE Declaration is processed?

Open the CAPE tab in the ACE Portal, find your submitted Declaration in the list, and click into it. CBP returns a downloadable result file (typically a .CSV) listing each entry number with its status (Accepted / Rejected) and, for rejections, one of the 19 entry-level error messages documented in this guide. Save this file — your broker, lawyer, or CFO will need it.

Some of these error codes describe situations CBP could fix on its end (like ENTRY SUMMARY UNDER REVIEW). Will CBP move my entry through automatically?

No. CAPE will not retry rejected entries. You must monitor the underlying entry status in ACE (use ES-022 and ES-701 reports), and once the blocking condition clears — for example, an internal CBP review completes and the entry returns to Accepted status — submit a new CAPE Declaration containing that entry. The CAPE system does not maintain a queue of rejected entries waiting for state changes.

CAPE Validation Errors: 19 CBP Entry Codes Explained

You uploaded a CAPE Declaration. ACE returns a result file. Some entries are accepted; others are rejected with a cryptic error message. What does each one mean, and what’s the fix?

This guide is a current reference to the 19 entry-level error messages CBP lists for CAPE filings. Source: the CBP IEEPA Duty Refunds FAQ, whose visible validation table is marked updated 7/7/2026 — checked against cbp.gov on August 27, 2026.

Two-stage validation reminder. A CAPE submission goes through file validation first (checks the .CSV itself), then entry validation (checks each entry against ACE). The 19 messages below are returned at entry validation. If your whole Declaration is rejected before it reaches entry validation, see How to fix CAPE upload errors before you miss the Phase 1 window.

CAPE Declaration validation error codes reference for IEEPA refund filing in ACE Portal

The 19 Current CBP Entry Validation Errors

#	Error message	What it means	Fix path
1	ENTRY ON DRAWBACK	The entry is associated with a drawback claim. Drawback entries are excluded from CAPE Phase 1.	Pursue the IEEPA refund through the drawback process or via CIT litigation; see What to do if your entries are outside CAPE Phase 1.
2	RECON ALREADY FILED FOR ENTRY SUMMARY	A Type 09 reconciliation entry has already been filed for the entry summary, so the entry is not available through the ordinary Phase 1 path.	Check the reconciliation status and avoid filing a duplicate CAPE declaration. Use the Phase 2 workflow where eligible; preserve protest or CIT options where deadlines require it.
3	ENTRY SUMMARY IS CANCELLED/REJECTED	The entry summary status in ACE is not “Accepted.”	The underlying entry summary needs to be resubmitted and accepted before CAPE can process it. Contact your broker.
4	ENTRY SUMMARY IS IN FINAL LIQUIDATION STATUS	The entry was liquidated or reliquidated more than 80 days ago, so CBP can no longer voluntarily reliquidate it under 19 USC § 1501.	This entry is CAPE-ineligible. File a protest under 19 USC § 1514 within the 180-day window, and consider whether protest or CIT is the right path.
5	ENTRY SUMMARY IS IN TRADE CONTROL	The control status of the entry summary is with the trade (importer/broker), not with CBP.	The broker must release control back to CBP via ACE before CAPE can process it.
6	ENTRY SUMMARY IS SUBJECT TO COURT INJUNCTION	The entry is flagged for an active court injunction.	Coordinate with your trade-law counsel — typically the injunction must be lifted or a court order obtained.
7	ENTRY SUMMARY NOT FOUND OR ARCHIVED IN ACE	Either the entry number is wrong, or the entry has been archived out of active ACE.	Verify the entry number is correct and the format is exactly 11 characters. If the entry is genuinely archived, CBP cannot process it through CAPE; file a protest if still within 180 days of liquidation.
8	ENTRY SUMMARY PENDING LIQUIDATION OR NOT LIQUIDATED AND HAS SUSPENSION RECORD	The entry has a “Pending” or “Not Liquidated” status and an active suspension record.	The entry will be processed by CAPE — but the refund will be issued only when liquidation actually occurs (suspended status maintained). No action needed; track via ACE Report ES-022.
9	ENTRY SUMMARY UNDER REVIEW	The entry is in adjusted status because CBP is reviewing it.	Wait for the review to complete, then refile. Periodically check the entry status in ACE; when it returns to “Accepted,” resubmit on a new CAPE Declaration.
10	ENTRY TYPE NOT ALLOWED	Entry type is TIB (23), Duty Deferral (08), Reconciliation (09), or Drawback (047) — all excluded from Phase 1.	Pursue alternative paths: CIT litigation for liquidated entries, or wait for Phase 2 / specialized refund procedures.
11	VALUE NOT ALLOWED ON HTS	Goods value is reported on a Chapter 99 HTS line where CBP does not allow it. CBP’s June guidance removed the earlier separate “must be reported on the CH 1-97” validation and directed affected filers to submit a new declaration.	Have your broker review the entry summary and CAPE data, correct the underlying ACE issue where needed, and resubmit a new declaration.
12	NO IEEPA HTS ON ENTRY	The entry doesn’t have any HTS line in the 9903.01.25–9903.01.70 range.	This entry didn’t pay IEEPA duties and is not eligible for an IEEPA refund. Confirm by reviewing the entry summary; you may have a Section 232 or 301 claim instead, which follows a different path.
13	PROTEST ON ENTRY	The entry has an open or suspended protest. (Also returned if the protest is in Denied status with the AFR — Application for Further Review — box checked.)	Either let the protest run its course (fastest if the protest will be granted), or withdraw the protest to use CAPE; see How open protests affect your CAPE refund filing and Withdraw pending protest for CAPE eligibility.
14	STATEMENT PROCESSING NOT COMPLETE	The entry is on a periodic monthly statement that’s authorized for payment but not yet posted.	Wait until the statement payment fully processes (usually within days), then refile. Check with your broker for the exact statement number and posting status.
15	INVALID HTS	The HTS line action date falls outside the HTS code’s begin/end dates.	File a Post-Summary Correction (PSC) to replace the expired or invalid HTS with the current replacement code, then submit a new CAPE declaration after the PSC is processed.
16	HTS RELATIONSHIP MISMATCH	A corresponding HTS required for the declared or derived HTS relationship is missing.	Have the broker file a PSC adding or replacing the required corresponding HTS, then resubmit after the PSC is processed.
17	UNABLE TO CALCULATE DUTY-‘X’ DUTY COMP CODE	CBP cannot calculate the duty associated with the “X” duty computation code from the entry data.	Have the broker review the duty calculation and entry data; contact CBP or ACE support for a repeatable technical error, then resubmit after correction.
18	UNEXPECTED ERROR-TRY AGAIN	CBP encountered an unexpected processing error while validating the entry.	Upload the entry again. Save the result file and contact the ACE Help Desk if the same error repeats.
19	SPI OR ADDITIONAL HTS REQUIRED	A special program indicator (SPI) or additional HTS code is required on at least one line.	Have the broker or classification team review the line and file a PSC if appropriate, then submit a new CAPE declaration with the required data.

FTZ Type 06 exception: CBP added ACE error F883 on August 21, 2026. A Post Summary Correction for an FTZ Entry Type 06 cannot modify an IEEPA HTS in any way. Before using the PSC fix paths for INVALID HTS, HTS RELATIONSHIP MISMATCH, or SPI/additional-HTS issues on a Type 06 entry, read the F883 FTZ correction guide and coordinate with the filing broker or CBP Client Representative.

The Most Common Rejections (and Quickest Fixes)

Based on early importer reports and the 19% entry-validation reject rate cited in the April 28 CIT order, these three error codes drive the bulk of rejections:

1. PROTEST ON ENTRY (Code 13)

By far the most-discussed rejection in trade circles. If you filed a protest in the 11 months between the May 2025 CIT decision and the April 2026 CAPE launch, that protest is now blocking CAPE. Decide:

Withdraw the protest if it was a placeholder filed only to preserve rights. CAPE then becomes available, and you skip the protest queue.
Keep the protest if it raises issues CAPE doesn’t address (interest disputes, related-party valuation, etc.).

See our companion guide: Withdraw pending protest for CAPE eligibility.

2. ENTRY SUMMARY IS IN FINAL LIQUIDATION STATUS (Code 4)

This is the most painful rejection because there’s no fix inside CAPE. The 80-day window has closed, and CBP has lost statutory authority to voluntarily reliquidate. Your options:

Protest within 180 days of liquidation under 19 USC § 1514 — the clock keeps running independent of CAPE.
CIT lawsuit — for high-value entries past the protest window, this may be the only path.

Read CAPE, Protest, or CIT — which path fits your entries before choosing.

3. ENTRY TYPE NOT ALLOWED (Code 10)

If your IEEPA-bearing entries used types 08, 09, 23, or 047, Phase 1 is closed to you. CBP deployed the Phase 2 reconciliation workflow for eligible Entry Type 09 filings on June 29, 2026, but eligibility and timing remain entry-specific. Don’t sit and wait — file CIT-track preparation now if the dollar amounts are material.

How to Read Your Validation Result File

When CBP returns the result file (downloadable from the CAPE tab in ACE):

Filter the rejected rows. They will carry one of the 19 entry-level messages above.
Group by error code. This tells you whether you have a systemic problem (e.g., 200 entries all rejected for PROTEST ON ENTRY → you have a portfolio-wide protest decision to make) or scattered issues.
For each group, decide the fix path using the table above.
Build the next Declaration’s input from rows that you’ve now corrected, plus any entries you originally couldn’t include (e.g., entries that were Pending and have since liquidated within the 80-day window).
Don’t resubmit accepted entries. They will fail with a duplicate-rejection error.

What CBP Hasn’t Said (as of August 23, 2026)

The official CBP IEEPA Duty Refunds FAQ now shows a validation-table update date of July 7, 2026 and lists 19 entry-level messages. CBP’s current table is the controlling operational reference; if a 20th message appears in your result file, document the exact text, check the official page and CSMS notices, and contact your customs attorney before relying on an unverified workaround.

Action Checklist

Open the CAPE tab in ACE and download the validation result file for every Declaration you’ve submitted.
Filter rejected rows; group by error code.
Cross-reference each error against the table above.
For Code 13 (PROTEST ON ENTRY) — decide withdraw vs. keep, per portfolio.
For Code 4 (FINAL LIQUIDATION STATUS) — calendar the 180-day protest deadline for each affected entry.
For Codes 5, 8, 9, 14 — schedule a 7-day re-check; status changes are common.
Build a “next Declaration” worksheet of corrected entries + new entries not yet submitted.
If your reject rate is over 25%, consider engaging a customs broker or trade lawyer to audit your filing process before you submit again.

How to submit a CAPE Declaration in the ACE Portal — step-by-step filing
How to fix CAPE upload errors before you miss the Phase 1 window — file-level errors
What to do when CAPE shows accepted with errors — partial acceptance
CAPE, Protest, or CIT — which path fits your entries — choosing the recovery channel

Update — May 14, 2026: CBP Now Publishes an Official Error-Code Reference PDF

CBP has published a dedicated CAPE Declarations and Error Definitions PDF (file dated April 30, 2026) that consolidates all CAPE error codes and their definitions in one document. Diaz Trade Law surfaced the file in its May 8, 2026 Breaking Trade News digest.

The PDF is a useful CBP reference, but the live IEEPA Duty Refunds page now carries the current 19-message entry-validation table. We rechecked the live table on August 23, 2026 and added the newer INVALID HTS, HTS RELATIONSHIP MISMATCH, duty-calculation, retry, and SPI/additional-HTS messages.

Update — June 9, 2026: CBP Refreshes the Official Error Tables

CBP’s IEEPA Duty Refunds page now separates CAPE errors into two official tables: File Validation Errors and Entry Validation Errors. The error-message FAQ on that page shows an update date of June 4, 2026, and it confirms the two-step structure described in this guide: the CSV file must pass file validation before CBP evaluates each listed entry in ACE.

The file-level table covers upload problems such as an empty or missing CSV header, a non-CSV file, file size above 1 MB, unsafe file content, more than 10,000 entry numbers, duplicate entries, entry numbers that are not 11 characters long, filer-code mismatch, account mismatch, and entries not found or archived in ACE. The entry-level table continues to cover operational entry conditions such as drawback, reconciliation flags, cancelled or rejected entry summaries, final liquidation status, trade control, court injunctions, suspension records, under-review status, disallowed entry types, protests, and statement-processing issues.

Practical takeaway: if your whole declaration fails immediately, troubleshoot the CSV and ACE-account match first. If the declaration is accepted with rejected rows, group those rows by entry-level error and only refile entries after the underlying ACE condition has been fixed. Keep the protest clock separate from CAPE cleanup; a validation error does not pause the 180-day protest deadline.

Update — July 7, 2026: CBP Narrows Two Entry-Level Validations

CBP CSMS #69056483, sent June 25, 2026, changed how several CAPE entry-level validation errors should be handled:

GOODS VALUE AMOUNT MUST BE REPORTED ON THE CH 1-97 was removed. CBP says entries that previously triggered this error should now be accepted if resubmitted on a new CAPE Declaration.
HTS RELATIONSHIP/SEQUENCE MISMATCH was split into two more specific error messages and narrowed so that some entries previously blocked by the broader validation may now be accepted.
INVALID HTS now points to a line action date outside the begin/end dates of the HTS code on the entry. CBP’s guidance is to file a Post-Summary Correction (PSC) to replace an expired HTS code with the current replacement code, then resubmit the entry on a new CAPE Declaration.
HTS RELATIONSHIP MISMATCH now points to a missing corresponding HTS code required for duty calculation. CBP’s guidance is to file a PSC with the appropriate corresponding HTS code or codes, then resubmit after the PSC is processed.

Do not treat these as dead-end rejections. They are cleanup-and-refile issues, but the 180-day protest deadline still runs while PSC and CAPE refiling work is pending.

For an FTZ Entry Type 06, the general PSC guidance now has a specific limitation. CBP’s new F883 validation prevents a PSC from modifying an IEEPA HTS in any way. See What ACE Error F883 Means for FTZ Type 06 IEEPA Corrections before applying the PSC fix path to a Type 06 entry.

Source: CBP CSMS #69056483, “Update to Entry-Level Validations for CAPE Declarations,” sent June 25, 2026. CBP’s CSMS #69066837 also confirms the June 29 Phase 2 deployment for eligible reconciliation entries.

Update — August 27, 2026: F883 Adds an FTZ Type 06 PSC Restriction

CBP added F883: PSC NOT ALLOWED TO MODIFY IEEPA HTS to the ACE CATAIR Entry Summary Error Dictionary. Source: CBP CSMS #69635410.
F883 applies to a Post Summary Correction for an FTZ Entry Type 06 when the PSC modifies an IEEPA HTS. It is an ACE entry-summary error, not a 20th CAPE entry-level validation code.
Do not apply the general “file a PSC, then resubmit CAPE” fix mechanically to a Type 06 IEEPA HTS issue. Review the proposed change with the filing broker, assigned Client Representative, or CBP ESAR.
The rejection does not pause the CAPE eligibility window or the generally applicable 180-day protest period. Preserve protest rights while the correction path is reviewed.

Full walkthrough: F883: PSC Not Allowed to Modify IEEPA HTS.

Disclaimer: CAPE Portal Guide is not a law firm. Error-code definitions reproduced here come from the public CBP IEEPA Duty Refunds FAQ checked August 27, 2026, supplemented by CBP’s official CAPE Declarations and Error Definitions PDF. CBP may add, remove, or revise error messages at any time. For binding advice on whether to withdraw a protest, file a PSC, file a CIT case, or refile a CAPE Declaration, consult a licensed customs attorney. Request a free assessment for an introduction to a vetted trade-law professional.