CSMS 64151118·Operational·February 18, 2025·View on csms.cbp.gov ↗

New Secondary Protest Issue Type: CAATSA Exception Review

Plain-English explanation

CSMS 64151118 is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Cargo Systems Messaging Service bulletin (operational), published on February 18, 2025. It carries the official CBP guidance brokers and importers must follow for the topic — "New Secondary Protest Issue Type: CAATSA Exception Review". 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 # 64151118 - New Secondary Protest Issue Type: CAATSA Exception Review U.S. Customs and Border Protection sent this bulletin at 02/18/2025 08:48 AM EST Cargo Systems Messaging Service CSMS # 64151118 - New Secondary Protest Issue Type: CAATSA Exception Review On January 21, 2025 , U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) deployed updates to the ACE Protest Module to include a new secondary issue for Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanction Act (CAATSA) exception reviews. Protest filers will notice changes to the ACE Protest user interface (UI). Specifically, filers protesting a Notice of Exclusion for CAATSA will be able to contest a CBP exclusion decision via the ACE Protest Module. Process Overview for Protests Requesting CAATSA Exception Review To request a CAATSA exception review, on the protest creation screen, filers should select “Merchandise Excluded from Entry” for the “Issue” and “CAATSA Exception Review” for the “Secondary Issue.” Once completed, the protest is routed to the applicable Center of Excellence and Expertise (Center) or Port of San Juan for review. Protest filers should select “CAATSA Exception Review” if: Importers are requesting an exception to rebut the CAATSA’s rebuttable presumption that their merchandise is made with forced labor. Requesting an exception to rebut the presumption that excluded goods are made with forced labor. Importers must submit information to show by clear and convincing evidence that detained goods are not made with forced labor by North Korean nationals or citizens (22 U.S.C. 9241a(b)). Importers have to fully comply with the guidance described in CBP’s Due Diligence in Global supply Chains (https://www.cbp.gov/document/fact-sheets/due-diligence-global-supply-chains) Questions regarding filing a CAATSA exception review protest in the ACE Protest Module may be directed to CAATSA@CBP.DHS.GOV. 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 64151118?

CSMS 64151118 is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Cargo Systems Messaging Service bulletin titled "New Secondary Protest Issue Type: CAATSA Exception Review". 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 64151118 published?

CBP published CSMS 64151118 on February 18, 2025. 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.

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