CBP Final Rule: ACE Electronic Export Manifest Required for Rail

Key Points

• CBP published a final rule on August 26, 2026 requiring an Electronic Export Manifest (EEM) filed through ACE for all rail cargo departing the United States to Mexico or Canada.
• The rule amends four sections of the Code of Federal Regulations: 19 CFR Parts 103, 113, 123, and 192.
• The mandate increases outbound rail cargo visibility, meaning exporters and rail carriers who currently file paper manifests must transition to electronic filing in ACE.
• Failure to file electronically once the rule takes effect will constitute a regulatory violation under the amended CFR parts.

On this page

1. What changed
2. Affected parties and scope
3. Regulatory framework: CFR parts amended
4. Why CBP is doing this
5. What exporters, carriers, and brokers should do now
6. Key references

CBP's August 26, 2026 final rule makes electronic filing of export manifests through ACE mandatory for rail shipments crossing into Mexico or Canada, replacing paper-based outbound manifest processes. Exporters, rail carriers, and any party responsible for filing export documentation for rail cargo must be enrolled in and capable of submitting EEM data through ACE before the rule's compliance date. The links in this article go to the primary documents: the CBP CSMS notice and the official regulatory text itself. Read the source.

What changed

Prior to this rule, outbound rail export manifests could be filed on paper. The CBP CSMS notice 69684363 confirms that as of August 26, 2026, CBP has finalized the requirement that these manifests be submitted electronically through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). Electronic filing is no longer optional for rail cargo departing to either Mexico or Canada.

Affected parties and scope

The rule applies to any party responsible for outbound rail cargo moving from the United States into Mexico or Canada. That includes:

• Rail carriers and their agents who prepare or submit export manifests
• Exporters whose cargo moves by rail across either the southern or northern border
• Freight forwarders and customs brokers involved in export filing for rail shipments

If your operation touches cross-border rail exports in either direction, this rule applies to you.

Regulatory framework: CFR parts amended

The final rule amends four parts of Title 19 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

• 19 CFR Part 103, Records and recordkeeping
• 19 CFR Part 113, CBP bonds
• 19 CFR Part 123, CBP relations with Canada and Mexico (border procedures)
• 19 CFR Part 192, Export control (the primary export manifest regulation)

Compliance teams should review the amended regulatory text at ecfr.gov Title 19 once the rule is codified to confirm any bond, recordkeeping, or filing-timeline obligations that accompany the electronic mandate.

Why CBP is doing this

CBP stated that mandatory electronic filing of rail export manifests will enhance visibility of outbound rail cargo. Greater data granularity in ACE allows CBP to apply risk-based targeting to exports, consistent with the agency's broader strategy of electronic manifest requirements already in place for air, sea, and truck modes. Rail was the remaining mode without a mandatory EEM requirement.

What exporters, carriers, and brokers should do now

• Confirm that your ACE portal account is active and that your rail carrier or agent has EEM filing capability configured before the rule's effective compliance date.
• Review the amended text of 19 CFR Part 192 and the related bond provisions in Part 113 to identify any new surety or recordkeeping obligations.
• Coordinate with rail carriers crossing into Mexico or Canada to verify they will submit EEM data on your shipments and confirm data-element requirements (shipper, consignee, commodity, quantity, and schedule B classification).
• Monitor the CBP CSMS feed for any follow-on messages specifying the mandatory compliance date, phase-in provisions, or technical filing specifications for the rail EEM message set.

Key references

• CSMS 69684363, CBP announcement of the ACE EEM Rail Final Rule (August 26, 2026)
• 19 CFR Part 192, Export control and manifest regulations (primary EEM authority)
• 19 CFR Part 123, CBP procedures at the Canadian and Mexican borders
• 19 CFR Part 113, CBP bond conditions
• 19 CFR Part 103, Records and recordkeeping requirements
• CBP ACE portal, Automated Commercial Environment overview and enrollment