WSSA attended CBP’s webinar yesterday, “How to Set Up and Manage an ACE Portal Account.” The session walked through the step-by-step account setup process and introduced a series of new automation features and web tools for the ACE Portal designed to make account management faster and more straightforward.

The frustration from participants was palpable in the chat as dozens of importers reported their struggles to reach ACE support via phone or email, with hold times in the hours on the phone and no responses to emails. The updates addressed some of these pain points, including account reactivation, identifying account owners, and applying for new accounts. CBP also published CSMS #68966469 which details the new web tools. An overview of the CSMS and webinar follows:

TAO Account Reactivation: Trade Account Owners with inactive ACE Portal accounts can now take advantage of an automated reactivation process. Simply send an email to ACE.Support@cbp.dhs.gov with the word “reactivation” in the subject line. The system will automatically respond with either confirmation of reactivation or instructions on next steps. It is important to remember that this self-service option is only available to Trade Account Owners. Non-TAO users must have their company’s TAO reactivate their accounts on their behalf.

Finding Your Trade Account Owner: If you are unsure who holds the TAO role for your company’s account, CBP now has an automated lookup process to help. Send an email to ACE.Support@cbp.dhs.gov with “Trade Account Owner Lookup” in the subject line. The system will automatically alert the current TAO that a lookup was requested and will send a confirmation back to you.

New Account Application Web Forms: CBP has launched new web forms to simplify the process of applying for and managing ACE Portal accounts. The forms cover a range of common scenarios, including applications for accounts with a single Importer of Record number, accounts with multiple Importer of Record numbers, requests to add sub-accounts or sub-account identifiers to an existing account, and updates to TAO information. For any of these situations, other than Exporter and Protest Filer accounts, the ACE Portal Account Application Web Form is the appropriate starting point.

• Importer Account Application – single IOR number only
  • Apply for an ACE Portal Top Account for importers
  • Importers must have an existing importer form 5106 record on file with CBP and do not already have an existing ACE Portal top account
  • Once you submit your importer account application you will receive an email from noreplyace@cbp.dhs.gov with a link to finalize your account activation, this must be completed within 72 hours of receipt. Many importers miss this step leading to accounts never being activated
• ACE Portal Account Application Web Form – used for importer accounts with multiple IOR numbers to be used for the following actions:
  • Adding a sub-account to an existing top account
  • Adding sub-account identifiers to an existing top account
  • Updates to TAO information
    • To be used if a current TAO has left your company, a new or existing portal user can apply to become the new TAO

These new tools should benefit importers who have had trouble creating their ACE Portal accounts, as well as those who need to make changes to existing accounts, and they should help reduce response times from ACE support. Together, the tools, guides and webinar provide detailed guidance on the majority of account-creation issues trade users encounter. For those unable to attend, CBP will publish the webinar here once it is available. If you have any questions about the new features, please reach out to us for assistance.