ACE in-bond: Electronic In-Bond Rules, Types 61, 62, 63 and Deadlines

Key Points

• ACE in-bond is the mandatory electronic channel for moving unentered merchandise under bond, built on the rule changes in CBP Dec. 17-13, 82 FR 45366, published September 28, 2017.
• Every ACE in-bond application must carry the in-bond type (61 immediate transportation, 62 transportation and exportation, or 63 immediate exportation), a six-digit HTS number, quantity, container and seal numbers, and the destination port under 19 CFR 18.1.
• Goods must be delivered to the destination port within 30 days, or 60 days when moving by barge, and arrival must be reported within two business days.
• For transportation and exportation movements under 19 CFR 18.20, the goods must be exported within 15 calendar days.
• The broker keys the in-bond number and date on the 7501 at destination, and a mismatch there is one of the most common ACE in-bond errors.

On this page

1. At a glance
2. What is ACE in-bond and where does it come from?
3. Who is responsible for ACE in-bond and when does it happen?
4. What data goes into an ACE in-bond application?
5. ACE in-bond deadlines by in-bond type
6. Common ACE in-bond errors and what they cost
7. How ACE in-bond interacts with related ACE functions
8. Frequently asked questions
9. What importers and brokers should do
10. Key references

ACE in-bond is the electronic in-bond system inside CBP's Automated Commercial Environment through which carriers, bonded warehouses, foreign-trade zone operators and brokers acting for bonded parties move unentered merchandise under bond between U.S. ports or out to export. It covers the in-bond application (the QP/WP transaction), the in-bond number, the 7512 data set, and the arrival and export messages that close the movement. ACE in-bond sits between arrival at the first U.S. port and either formal entry at the destination port or exportation; it is not the entry summary and not ACE Cargo Release.

This entry reflects the rules as of October 2026. The links in this article go to the primary documents: the regulations, the Federal Register rule, and official CBP and tariff schedule pages themselves. Read the source.

At a glance

• Full name: ACE in-bond, the electronic in-bond application and reporting system in ACE
• Who prepares or uses it: Carriers, bonded warehouse and FTZ operators, and brokers acting as a bonded party's agent; CBP monitors it
• When in the lifecycle: After arrival at the port of unlading and before entry at destination or exportation
• System or channel: ACE, through the QP/WP in-bond transaction; CBP Form 7512 only as a paper fallback
• Governing authority: 19 CFR part 18, including 18.1, 18.20 and 18.25; CBP Dec. 17-13, 82 FR 45366
• In-bond types: 61 immediate transportation, 62 transportation and exportation, 63 immediate exportation
• Related terms: ACE Cargo Release, ACE truck eManifest, disposition codes, DIS, CATAIR Appendix B

What is ACE in-bond and where does it come from?

ACE in-bond is the electronic replacement for the paper in-bond process, made the required method of filing by CBP Dec. 17-13, published at 82 FR 45366 on September 28, 2017. Before that rule, much in-bond movement ran on the paper CBP Form 7512. The rule moved the application and the arrival and export reporting into ACE so CBP could track each movement, its bond liability and its deadlines electronically. The 7512 survives as a paper fallback; confirm with CBP or the current regulation when paper is still acceptable for your situation.

The core rule is 19 CFR 18.1, which sets the electronic application requirement, the data elements, the delivery time limits and the arrival reporting window. Exportation movements are covered by 19 CFR 18.20 for transportation and exportation and 19 CFR 18.25 for immediate exportation.

Who is responsible for ACE in-bond and when does it happen?

ACE in-bond responsibility rests with the bonded party that creates the in-bond application, typically a bonded carrier, a bonded warehouse, an FTZ operator, or a broker filing as that bonded party's agent. That party creates the application in ACE, moves the goods under its bond, and reports arrival at destination or exportation within the required time. CBP tracks the bond liability and the deadlines against the in-bond number.

Where the broker fits

When ACE in-bond goods reach the destination port and are entered, the broker keys the in-bond number and date on the 7501. That link ties the entry back to the in-bond movement so CBP can close the bonded transit. If the broker is also filing the in-bond as agent for the carrier, the broker carries the arrival reporting duty as well, so roles should be agreed in writing before freight moves.

What data goes into an ACE in-bond application?

An ACE in-bond application under 19 CFR 18.1 must carry the in-bond number, the in-bond type, a six-digit HTS number, the quantity, the container and seal numbers, and the destination port. The six-digit HTS is the heading and subheading level of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, not the full ten-digit statistical number used at entry. For a refresher on how HTS numbers are built, see the 2026 tariff code overview.

Code values used in ABI transactions, such as mode of transport codes, are published in CATAIR Appendix B, Valid Codes, the ACE ABI CATAIR appendix listing the code tables used across ABI transactions. Record layouts for the in-bond transaction itself are in the in-bond chapter of the CATAIR; confirm the current version on CBP's ACE pages.

ACE in-bond deadlines by in-bond type

ACE in-bond deadlines differ by in-bond type, and CBP measures them from the in-bond record.

• Type 61, immediate transportation: goods move to the destination port for entry there. Under 19 CFR 18.1, delivery is due within 30 days, or 60 days by barge, and arrival must be reported within two business days.
• Type 62, transportation and exportation: goods cross the U.S. under bond to be exported from another port. Under 19 CFR 18.20, export is required within 15 calendar days.
• Type 63, immediate exportation: goods are exported from the port of arrival under 19 CFR 18.25. Confirm any time limit in the current regulation.

How CBP counts days for particular modes or holidays should be confirmed in the current regulation or with CBP.

Common ACE in-bond errors and what they cost

The most frequent ACE in-bond errors are failures to close the movement properly, and each one leaves an open liability against the bond.

• Arrival not reported: the goods arrive but no arrival message is sent within two business days.
• Late delivery: delivery happens after the 30-day transit limit, or 60 days by barge.
• Diversion: goods are delivered to a port other than the one in the application without the change being properly handled in ACE.
• Mismatched in-bond number on the entry: the in-bond number or date keyed on the 7501 does not match the ACE in-bond record, so the transit does not close.

These errors can lead to liquidated damages claims against the bond. Penalty amounts depend on the regulation and bond terms in force; confirm them in the current regulation or with CBP rather than estimating.

How ACE in-bond interacts with related ACE functions

ACE in-bond is a transit record, and it runs alongside, but separately from, the other ACE functions a shipment touches.

• ACE truck eManifest: ACE truck eManifest (ACE e-Manifest: Trucks), the electronic truck manifest highway carriers transmit before arrival at a land border port, carries the shipment data that in-bond releases key off. See ACE truck eManifest: Advance Filing Rules for Highway Carriers.
• ACE Cargo Release: ACE Cargo Release, successor to the paper CBP Form 3461, is the transaction for release at the port where goods are entered; the in-bond only moves them there.
• Disposition codes: ACE cargo release disposition codes report what CBP did with a release. A 1C release (disposition code 1C, meaning CBP has released the entry) on the destination entry is not the same as closing the in-bond, which still needs the arrival message.
• DIS: the Document Image System (DIS) lets filers send images tied to an entry, in-bond or PGA line when CBP asks for documents. See DIS explained.
• Downstream entry functions: once entered, the goods may be subject to ACE AD/CVD case management (the ACE function publishing Commerce case numbers and cash deposit rates), ACE reconciliation (entry type 09 flags for undeterminable issues) or the ACE protest module (the ACE function for filing protests). None of these replaces the in-bond record.
• ABI client rep: connectivity or certification problems with in-bond transactions go to the filer's ABI client representative, the CBP Office of Trade contact assigned to each ABI filer.

Frequently asked questions

Is ACE in-bond the same as ACE Cargo Release?

No. ACE in-bond moves unentered goods under bond between ports or to export, while ACE Cargo Release requests release of goods being entered. A shipment can use ACE in-bond to reach the destination port and then ACE Cargo Release once there.

What are the ACE in-bond types?

ACE in-bond uses three types: 61 immediate transportation, 62 transportation and exportation, and 63 immediate exportation. The type determines which deadline applies and whether the movement ends in entry or exportation.

How long does an ACE in-bond movement have to arrive?

Under 19 CFR 18.1, ACE in-bond goods must be delivered within 30 days, or 60 days by barge, and arrival must be reported within two business days. Type 62 goods must be exported within 15 calendar days under 19 CFR 18.20.

Can CBP Form 7512 still be used instead of ACE in-bond?

CBP Form 7512 remains only as a paper fallback to ACE in-bond. Confirm with CBP or the current regulation when a paper filing is permitted before relying on it.

What importers and brokers should do

• Agree in writing who files each ACE in-bond application and who sends the arrival or export message.
• Run a daily open in-bond check against the 30-day, 60-day barge and 15-calendar-day limits.
• Verify the in-bond number and date on every 7501 against the ACE in-bond record before transmission.
• Confirm container and seal numbers and the six-digit HTS before creating the application.

Key references

• 19 CFR 18.1: electronic in-bond application, data elements, delivery limits and arrival reporting.
• 19 CFR 18.20: transportation and exportation, export within 15 calendar days.
• 19 CFR 18.25: immediate exportation.
• Federal Register: search for CBP Dec. 17-13, 82 FR 45366 (September 28, 2017), the in-bond modernization rule.
• CBP ACE pages: CATAIR in-bond chapter and CATAIR Appendix B.
• Harmonized Tariff Schedule: source of the six-digit HTS numbers on the application.