CBP to Deploy Entry Type 13 Test for U.S. Mail Processing in ACE
Published July 21, 2026
Key Points
- CBP is implementing Entry Type 13 (ET13), a new ACE entry type built specifically for USPS international mail shipment data.
- ET13 deploys to the ACE Certification (CERT) environment on July 24, 2026, and to Production (PROD) on September 22, 2026.
- The test implements two Federal Register notices published June 24, 2026, covering the new electronic informal entry process for mail and the indefinite suspension of de minimis for non-postal shipment modes.
- The update carries EDI impacts, with several ACE CATAIR implementation guides already published in support.
- CBP will announce further implementation guide updates via CSMS as the test progresses.
The
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is rolling out a new entry type in ACE to handle U.S. Postal Service international mail shipments. Entry Type 13 (ET13) provides a formal electronic process for submitting mail shipment data, replacing the manual and carrier-based methods used since the U.S. suspended de minimis treatment for non-postal shipments. The test begins in CBP’s Certification environment on July 24, 2026, before it moves to Production on September 22, 2026. Businesses that rely on international mail as an import channel, including qualified parties currently remitting postal duties, should review the deployment timeline and supporting CATAIR guides now.
What Is E13?
Entry Type 13 is a new ACE entry type created specifically for submitting USPS international mail shipment data. It implements the FRN-published test of a new electronic informal entry process for mail, alongside the indefinite suspension of the de minimis exemption for merchandise arriving through modes other than the international postal network.
EDI and Implementation Guides
This update includes impacts to electronic data interchange (EDI). CBP has published the following ACE implementation guides in support:
Cargo Release
Entry Summary
Manifest
- ACE UN/EDIFACT Import Truck Manifest – Standard Truck Manifest Customs Cargo Report (CUSCAR) Message
CATAIR Appendix
CBP will update additional implementation guides as this initiative progresses, with future updates announced via CSMS.
For deployment questions, contact CBP’s CREM Division at CREM@cbp.dhs.gov or ESAR Division at ESAR@cbp.dhs.gov. For technical issues, reach out to your Client Representative.
CBP will update additional implementation guides as this initiative progresses, with future updates announced via CSMS.
For deployment questions, contact CBP’s CREM Division at CREM@cbp.dhs.gov or ESAR Division at ESAR@cbp.dhs.gov. For technical issues, reach out to your Client Representative.
Background
This test builds on the U.S. suspension of the de minimis exemption under Executive Order 14324, effective August 29, 2025, which ended duty-free treatment for most low-value shipments but left international postal shipments on a temporary carrier-remittance model pending a formal CBP process. ET13 is that promised process: a Federal Register-authorized test to bring USPS international mail into a standard ACE entry framework, referenced in CBP’s June 24, 2026 notices on the new electronic informal entry process for mail.
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