CBP Opens 2027 Cotton TRQs Aug 3 and ACE Entry Type 13 Goes Live Sept 22

CBP published three quota bulletins and a critical ACE system notice on July 20, 2026. Together they set two firm deadlines that cotton importers and mail-entry filers need to calendar now.

2027 Cotton TRQ Period Opens August 3, 2026

CBP has published Quota Bulletins 26-402, 26-403, and 26-404, opening the tariff-rate quota period for cotton under HTSUS Chapter 52, Additional U.S. Notes (AUSN) 6, 7, and 8. The specifics are:

• AUSN 6 (Bulletin 26-402): Cotton, rough or harsh, product of any country or area including the United States.
• AUSN 7 (Bulletin 26-403): Cotton, not carded or combed, product of any country or area including the United States.
• AUSN 8 (Bulletin 26-404): Cotton, not carded or combed, product of any country or area including the United States.

For all three quotas, the quota period runs August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027, and the opening date is Monday, August 3, 2026. Entries submitted after 12:01 a.m. local time on the opening date will be subject to standard TRQ timing and fill rules. Missing the opening window or filing entries with incorrect Chapter 52 AUSN classifications can expose shipments to over-quota duty rates.

ACE Entry Type 13 for U.S. Mail Processing Deploys September 22, 2026

Separately, CSMS 69289734 confirms that CBP will deploy Entry Type 13 enhancements (INT-057 and CBP-290) to the ACE production environment on September 22, 2026. Testing in the ACE CERT (certification) environment begins earlier, on July 24, 2026. These enhancements implement previously published Federal Register notices governing U.S. mail processing in ACE. Trade software providers and brokers who handle mail entries should plan to complete CERT testing before the production cutover.

What importers and brokers should do

• Confirm that all cotton shipments under HTSUS Chapter 52 are classified to the correct AUSN (6, 7, or 8) before submitting entries on or after August 3, 2026, to ensure in-quota treatment for the new 2026-2027 TRQ period.
• Review CBP Quota Bulletins 26-402, 26-403, and 26-404 on the CBP quota webpage to verify fill levels and any country-specific allocations that may apply to your shipments.
• If your operation files or processes U.S. mail entries, engage your ACE software provider to begin testing against the Entry Type 13 enhancements in the CERT environment before July 24, 2026, and confirm readiness for the September 22 production deployment.
• Set internal alerts for August 3 (TRQ opening) and September 22 (ACE production cutover) to avoid last-minute filing errors that could result in quota overages or ACE rejections.