On 3/20/2020, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued Cargo Systems Messaging Service (CSMS) message 42097586 regarding requesting a case by case need for additional days for payment of estimated duties, taxes and fees.

However, since then CBP has issued CSMS #42161666 which states that CBP is no longer accepting requests for additional days for payment. It also provides guidance to Brokers (including brokers that made requests on behalf of importers), Importers and Sureties on processing the universe of entries affected by the previous message. CBP will retain the right to allow additional days for narrow circumstances, including a physical inability to file entry or payments, due to technology outages or port closures.

Timeframe For Payment:

Single payments, daily and periodic monthly statement payments of estimated duties, taxes and fees that should have been tendered from 3/20/2020 through 3/26/2020, must be initiated by 3/27/2020.

If an importer did not pay CBP for estimated duties, taxes and fees due 3/20/2020 through 3/26/2020, payment should be initiated via FedWire or ACH credit by 3/27/2020.

Payment Instructions:
If paying via FedWire, please follow the attached instructions.  For payment of Periodic Monthly Statement, include the Periodic Monthly Statement numbers in the Originator to Beneficiary Information Line 2.  If paying a daily statement please enter the daily statement number.  If paying multiple statements, please send the list of those statements to debitvoucherteam2@cbp.dhs.gov.  Alternatively, parties who are current ACH Credit participants may pay via ACH Credit following normal business practices.

Please Note: Although the temporary option was provided to extend payment due dates, if the money was withdrawn from the account, these funds are legally owed to CBP and a refund will not be issued.  Trade users need to work with their financial institutions to ensure that future ACH debit and ACH credit payments to CBP are processed appropriately.

Additional Information:
CBP is continuing to work with federal and private sector partners to identify appropriate mechanisms to manage the operational impacts of COVID-19. The trade community should monitor CSMS for additional changes related to COVID-19.

Policy questions should be directed to the Office of Trade, Trade Policy and Programs at OTentrysummary@cbp.dhs.gov.

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Photo of Frances P. Hadfield Frances P. Hadfield

Frances P. Hadfield is a counsel in Crowell & Moring’s International Trade Group in the firm’s New York office. Her practice focuses on forced labor and withhold release orders (WRO), import regulatory compliance, and customs litigation. She regularly advises corporations on matters involving…

Frances P. Hadfield is a counsel in Crowell & Moring’s International Trade Group in the firm’s New York office. Her practice focuses on forced labor and withhold release orders (WRO), import regulatory compliance, and customs litigation. She regularly advises corporations on matters involving customs compliance, audits, customs enforcement, as well as import penalties.

Frances represents clients before the U.S. Court of International Trade and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, as well as in proceedings at the administrative level. She advises corporations on both substantive federal and state regulatory issues that involve U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Trade Commission, Food and Drug Administration, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife in matters pertaining to product admissibility, audits, classification, import restrictions, investigations, marking, licenses, origin, penalties, and tariff preference programs.

Photo of John Brew John Brew

John Brew is the co-chair of Crowell & Moring’s International Trade Group and a partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. He has extensive experience in import and export trade regulation, and he regularly advises corporations, trade associations, foreign governments, and non-governmental organizations…

John Brew is the co-chair of Crowell & Moring’s International Trade Group and a partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. He has extensive experience in import and export trade regulation, and he regularly advises corporations, trade associations, foreign governments, and non-governmental organizations on matters involving customs administration, enforcement, compliance, litigation, legislation and policy.

John represents clients in proceedings at the administrative and judicial levels, as well as before Congress and the international bureaucracies that handle customs and trade matters. He advises clients on all substantive import regulatory issues handled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, such as classification, valuation, origin, marking, tariff preference programs, other agency regulations, admissibility, import restrictions, quotas, drawback, audits, prior disclosures, penalties, investigations, Importer Self Assessment and Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism programs, importations under bond, the Jones Act, vessel repairs, and foreign trade zone matters.