80-day Phase 1 window still running · many CAPE submissions stuck or rejected · Government appeal deadline approaching
CAPE Error Rescue
Stop the bleeding on your stuck filing. Free analysis from licensed customs professionals.
Which CAPE error are you seeing?
Pick the one that’s blocking your filing right now.
While You Read This:
- Your 80-day window is ticking down
- 19% of CAPE entries got rejected outright
- Manual review can extend your timeline by months
- The government appeal deadline is approaching
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CAPE Phase 2 errors, explained
The most common errors importers and brokers are hitting during CAPE refund filing — what each one means and how to clear it. Updated June 2026 for the Phase 2 rollout.
"Unable to calculate duty"
What it means: CAPE can't resolve a duty rate for one of your entry lines. This almost always traces back to a line the system can't price: a missing or invalid HTS number, a missing Chapter 99 trade-remedy line (e.g. a 9903 IEEPA/Section 232 line), or an entry date that falls outside a rate's effective window.
How to fix it: Re-check every line for a valid 10-digit HTS, confirm each trade-remedy provision has its matching 9903 line, and verify the entry date lines up with the rate in effect that day. If duty still won't calculate, the line set usually needs a broker to re-sequence and re-flag it.
"The HTS numbers on the line are out of order"
What it means: ACE requires HTS lines to be listed in a specific sequence. The primary (Chapter 1–97) classification has to come first, with Chapter 98/99 provisions — including 9903 IEEPA and Section 232/301 lines — following in the correct order. List a 9903 line before its base HTS, or stack the trade-remedy lines in the wrong sequence, and the entry rejects.
How to fix it: Reorder the lines so the base HTS leads and the 9903 provisions follow in CBP's required sequence. This is one of the most common rejection causes in Phase 2 multi-line entries and is quick to fix once the ordering rule is applied.
Entry rejected / stuck in manual review
What it means: A meaningful share of CAPE submissions reject outright or drop into manual review — often from line-ordering, missing 9903 flags, or value/quantity mismatches against the original entry. Manual review can add weeks to months before a refund is issued.
How to fix it: Don't resubmit the same file repeatedly — each rejection can compound delays. Have the full line set audited against the original entry summary before refiling.
CAPE Phase 2 — what it covers
What it means: Phase 1 (live since April 2026) handles certain unliquidated entries and entries liquidated within 80 days of submission. Phase 2 extends CAPE to reconciliation entries, drawback, and historically-liquidated entries — the harder, higher-value population. Phase 2 errors tend to surface on these more complex, multi-line filings.
How to fix it: If your refund depends on reconciliation or historically-liquidated entries, the filing is more error-prone and the stakes are higher. A licensed broker who has filed Phase 2 entries can keep these from rejecting.
This is general guidance, not filing advice for your specific entry. CAPE error messages can have multiple root causes — for a stuck or rejected filing, the form above routes you to a licensed customs professional for a free, no-commitment review.