CBP 2027 Tobacco Quota Opens Sept 14 and ACE Maintenance Aug 15
Key Points
- CBP has published Quota Bulletin 26-502, opening the 2027 tobacco tariff-rate quota (TRQ) on Monday, September 14, 2026, for the period September 13, 2026 through September 12, 2027.
- Entries submitted after 12:01 a.m. local port time and before 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on the opening date will receive simultaneous opening-day treatment, a critical timing rule for quota-sensitive shipments.
- Tobacco covered by this quota falls under HTSUS Chapter 24 subheadings subject to Additional U.S. Note 5.
- ACE will undergo standard invasive maintenance from 10:00 p.m. ET Saturday, August 15, 2026 to 4:00 a.m. ET Sunday, August 16, 2026, during which electronic filing capability may be unavailable.
On this page
- What changed: two CBP operational notices
- 2027 tobacco TRQ: quota period, opening date, and HTS coverage
- Simultaneous-opening rule and filing timing
- ACE invasive maintenance window
- What importers and brokers should do
- Key references
CBP has issued two operational notices affecting tobacco importers and all ACE filers. The 2027 tobacco TRQ opens September 14, 2026, under HTSUS Chapter 24 Additional U.S. Note 5, and ACE will be offline for invasive maintenance the weekend of August 15-16, 2026. The links throughout this article go directly to the primary CBP documents. Read the source.
What changed: two CBP operational notices
On August 13, 2026, CBP's Cargo Systems Messaging Service (CSMS) released two separate notices. CSMS 69523407 announced Quota Bulletin 26-502, governing the 2027 tobacco TRQ. CSMS 69498993 announced a scheduled ACE production maintenance window. Both notices carry concrete deadlines that require advance planning from importers, brokers, and compliance teams.
2027 tobacco TRQ: quota period, opening date, and HTS coverage
The 2027 tobacco quota covers tobacco commodities classified under HTSUS Chapter 24 subheadings as specified in Additional U.S. Note 5 to that chapter. The quota period runs from September 13, 2026 through September 12, 2027. The quota opens for filing on Monday, September 14, 2026.
Importers should confirm that their specific tobacco products fall within the Chapter 24 subheadings enumerated in Additional U.S. Note 5 before preparing quota entries. Classification errors at the time of entry can result in over-quota duty rates applying retroactively.
Simultaneous-opening rule and filing timing
CBP's simultaneous-opening rule is the key operational detail for quota-sensitive filers. All entries submitted after 12:01 a.m. local port time and before 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on September 14, 2026 will be treated as having been filed simultaneously for purposes of quota proration. This means no single filer gains a first-in advantage during that window, and any over-subscription during the opening period will be prorated across all qualifying entries.
Entries submitted at or after 8:30 a.m. ET on opening day will be processed in the order received and are at greater risk of falling into an over-quota position if the in-quota quantity fills quickly. Brokers managing tobacco shipments should coordinate with clients well in advance to ensure entries are transmission-ready before the 8:30 a.m. ET cutoff.
ACE invasive maintenance window
According to CSMS 69498993, ACE production will undergo standard invasive maintenance from 10:00 p.m. ET Saturday, August 15, 2026 to 4:00 a.m. ET Sunday, August 16, 2026, a six-hour window. During invasive maintenance, ACE systems, including electronic entry submission, query functions, and document imaging, may be fully or partially unavailable.
While the maintenance window falls on a weekend, any broker or importer with time-sensitive filings, protests, or responses due around that date should plan to complete or submit those documents before 10:00 p.m. ET on August 15.
What importers and brokers should do
- Verify that tobacco products intended for the 2027 TRQ are correctly classified under the Chapter 24 subheadings covered by HTSUS Additional U.S. Note 5, and confirm the in-quota quantities available before September 14, 2026.
- Stage quota entry transmissions to reach CBP after 12:01 a.m. local port time but before 8:30 a.m. ET on September 14, 2026, to qualify for simultaneous-opening proration treatment.
- Complete any ACE filings, responses, or time-sensitive submissions before 10:00 p.m. ET on August 15, 2026, to avoid the six-hour invasive maintenance outage.
Key references
- CSMS 69523407: Quota Bulletin 26-502, 2027 Tobacco - CBP notice announcing the quota period, opening date, and simultaneous-opening rule.
- CSMS 69498993: ACE Invasive Maintenance, August 15-16, 2026 - CBP notice of the six-hour ACE production outage window.
- Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (USITC) - Current HTS, including Chapter 24 and Additional U.S. Note 5 covering tobacco.
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