CSMS 56966260·System update·July 14, 2023·View on csms.cbp.gov ↗

An updated ACE Agency Tariff Code Reference Guide is available (AQ3 changing to AQX)

Plain-English explanation

CSMS 56966260 is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Cargo Systems Messaging Service bulletin (system update), published on July 14, 2023. It carries the official CBP guidance brokers and importers must follow for the topic — "An updated ACE Agency Tariff Code Reference Guide is available (AQ3 changing to AQX)". CSMS messages are the operational layer between Commerce determinations and at-the-border collections: when Commerce publishes a new rate, scope ruling, or instruction, CBP turns it into a CSMS that ACE/ACS systems and brokers act on.

Message body

Full text as published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection

CSMS # 56966260 - An updated ACE Agency Tariff Code Reference Guide is available (AQ3 changing to AQX) U.S. Customs and Border Protection sent this bulletin at 07/14/2023 11:01 AM EDT Cargo Systems Messaging Service CSMS # 56966260 - An updated ACE Agency Tariff Code Reference Guide is available (AQ3 changing to AQX) The ACE Agency Tariff Code Reference Guide has been updated. For APHIS Core, AQ3 has been changed to AQX. APHIS expects to begin assigning the new AQX flag to HTS codes in CERT no earlier than July 14, 2023, and in PROD no earlier than August 21, 2023. Here is the guidance from APHIS about this new flag that still applies (from CSMS 55503724): The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) created a new APHIS Core Message Set flag of AQX that, when implemented, will alert filers that products under a Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) code with this flag may require an APHIS Core Message Set. This flag will be enforced with a ‘warning’ severity, meaning filers will not be prohibited from submitting an entry without APHIS Core Message Set data or a disclaim related to this new flag (i.e., the entry won’t be rejected). APHIS is introducing the new flag in response to evidence that some HTS codes are largely disclaimed and do not require APHIS Core Message Set data. This change will eliminate the burden on stakeholders who have to disclaim large volumes of shipments. Filers who submit an entry with an HTS flagged AQX and who do not submit APHIS data or a disclaim, will receive this message: PU2 – DATA MSNG ON HTS – NO ACTN RQD AQX. APHIS reminds filers that the AQX flag does not eliminate the requirement to file a message set when permits, certificates or other documents are required for agriculture admissibility. The move to an AQX flag simply removes the requirement to disclaim products not regulated by APHIS, or indicates data is not required. For help with the APHIS Core Message Set filing, please visit our website, send an email to ace.itds@usda.gov, or call our help desk at 1-833-481-2102. Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page . You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com . This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Customs and Border Protection . Privacy Policy | GovDelivery is providing this information on behalf of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and may not use the information for any other purposes. Powered by Privacy Policy | Cookie Statement | Help

Frequently asked questions

What is CSMS 56966260?

CSMS 56966260 is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Cargo Systems Messaging Service bulletin titled "An updated ACE Agency Tariff Code Reference Guide is available (AQ3 changing to AQX)". CSMS bulletins are the operational instructions CBP issues to brokers, importers, and ACE filers covering rate changes, system updates, scope guidance, and other day-to-day customs-operations changes.

When was CSMS 56966260 published?

CBP published CSMS 56966260 on July 14, 2023. The bulletin's instructions are typically operative as of the publication date unless the body specifies a different effective date.

Is the CBP CSMS the legally binding instruction?

Yes — for at-the-border filing and entry collection. CSMS messages translate Commerce's Federal Register determinations into operational CBP instructions that ACE/ACS systems and brokers execute. The Federal Register notice is the underlying legal authority; the CSMS is the operational implementation. Both should be read together when reconciling a rate or scope change.

Learn more

Tandom guides relevant to CBP CSMS messages

Subscribe to and triage CBP CSMS messages

How to subscribe to CBP Cargo Systems Messaging Service and triage the messages that change broker filing behavior, without losing the ones that matter.

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Real-time alerts when a CSMS message changes a duty rate

Set up alerts when a CBP CSMS message changes a duty rate on an HTS code you depend on. Built for brokers, forwarders, and importer compliance teams.

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Find the right manufacturer or exporter rate in an AD/CVD order

Cash deposit cascade, separate rates, all-others, and PRC-wide rates. Worked example on case A-570-910 (galvanized welded steel pipe from China) with three exporter-specific rates.

Open resource

Determine if a product is in scope of an AD/CVD order

Scope text is authoritative; the HTS list is illustrative. Read scope, find past rulings, and file a 19 CFR 351.225 inquiry. Worked example on case A-570-106 (wooden cabinets from China).

Open resource

Bulk-classify SKU descriptions with the Tandom HTS Classifier API

Run thousands of product descriptions through HTS classification, score the confidence, and triage borderline rows. Public search endpoint plus the closed-beta three-layer Classifier.

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Check AD/CVD exposure by HTS code

A practical workflow for checking antidumping and countervailing duty exposure on a US entry. For brokers and ops teams who need the answer before filing.

Open resource

CSMS 56966260·System update·July 14, 2023·View on csms.cbp.gov ↗

An updated ACE Agency Tariff Code Reference Guide is available (AQ3 changing to AQX)

Plain-English explanation

Message body

Full text as published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Frequently asked questions

What is CSMS 56966260?

When was CSMS 56966260 published?

CBP published CSMS 56966260 on July 14, 2023. The bulletin's instructions are typically operative as of the publication date unless the body specifies a different effective date.

Is the CBP CSMS the legally binding instruction?

Learn more

Tandom guides relevant to CBP CSMS messages

Subscribe to and triage CBP CSMS messages

How to subscribe to CBP Cargo Systems Messaging Service and triage the messages that change broker filing behavior, without losing the ones that matter.

Open resource

Real-time alerts when a CSMS message changes a duty rate

Set up alerts when a CBP CSMS message changes a duty rate on an HTS code you depend on. Built for brokers, forwarders, and importer compliance teams.

Open resource

Find the right manufacturer or exporter rate in an AD/CVD order

Cash deposit cascade, separate rates, all-others, and PRC-wide rates. Worked example on case A-570-910 (galvanized welded steel pipe from China) with three exporter-specific rates.

Open resource

Determine if a product is in scope of an AD/CVD order

Scope text is authoritative; the HTS list is illustrative. Read scope, find past rulings, and file a 19 CFR 351.225 inquiry. Worked example on case A-570-106 (wooden cabinets from China).

Open resource

Bulk-classify SKU descriptions with the Tandom HTS Classifier API

Run thousands of product descriptions through HTS classification, score the confidence, and triage borderline rows. Public search endpoint plus the closed-beta three-layer Classifier.

Open resource

Check AD/CVD exposure by HTS code

A practical workflow for checking antidumping and countervailing duty exposure on a US entry. For brokers and ops teams who need the answer before filing.

Open resource