CBP Quota Bulletin 26-408: 2027 CBTPA Apparel Quota and ACE Updates

Key Points

• CBP published Quota Bulletin 26-408 for the 2027 Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA), covering apparel under HTS 9820.11.09 and t-shirts under 9820.11.12.
• Licensed customs brokers must finish continuing education by January 31, 2027, and report it on the Triennial Status Report (TSR) by February 28, 2027.
• As of November 5, 2026, the ACE Portal account application accepts requests to merge two or more ACE Portal accounts under a single top account.
• ACE Production Standard Invasive Maintenance runs from 10:00 p.m. ET Saturday, November 7, 2026, to 4:00 a.m. ET Sunday, November 8, 2026.

On this page

1. 2027 CBTPA quota bulletin 26-408
2. Broker continuing education and TSR deadlines
3. ACE Portal account merger requests
4. ACE maintenance window
5. What importers should do
6. Key references

The most relevant item for duty planning is CSMS # 70370373, which announces that CBP posted Quota Bulletin 26-408 for the 2027 CBTPA. Brokers also face firm license deadlines in early 2027, and ACE users have a new account-merger option and a weekend maintenance window to plan around.

The links in this article go to the primary documents: the CBP messages, the quota bulletin, and the official tariff schedule pages themselves. Read the source.

2027 CBTPA quota bulletin 26-408

On November 5, 2026, CBP issued CSMS # 70370373, stating that QB 26-408 2027 Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act is now on CBP's quota bulletin page.

The bulletin covers two commodity groups, as provided in Chapter 98, Subchapter XX of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States:

• Apparel articles under subheading 9820.11.09.
• T-shirts under subheading 9820.11.12.

The CSMS excerpt available to us does not state quantities, dates, or other terms. Open the bulletin itself for those details before you rely on this program for 2027 entries, and check the Additional U.S. Note cited there.

Broker continuing education and TSR deadlines

In CSMS # 70373554, CBP reminded licensed customs brokers of two deadlines required to maintain a broker license:

• January 31, 2027: all individually licensed brokers must complete their Continuing Education (CE) requirements. CE for this Triennial Status Reporting period cannot be completed after that date.
• February 28, 2027: individually licensed brokers must report CE completion on the TSR.

The CSMS also addresses other licensed brokers. Read the full message for those requirements.

ACE Portal account merger requests

On November 5, 2026, CBP updated the ACE Portal account application to handle merger requests for two or more ACE Portal accounts under a single top account, per CSMS # 70362316.

When entities need to merge ACE Portal accounts, the account owner for the acquiring entity's account should submit the request through the automated ACE Portal application. The message lists further information required as part of a merger request. Review it before starting the request, especially if an acquisition or corporate restructuring is underway.

ACE maintenance window

CSMS # 70370477 announces ACE Production Standard Invasive Maintenance from 10:00 p.m. ET Saturday, November 7, 2026, to 4:00 a.m. ET Sunday, November 8, 2026. The message gives no further detail on affected functions, so plan time-sensitive filings and portal work outside that window.

What importers should do

• Read Quota Bulletin 26-408 and check whether your 2027 apparel and t-shirt entries fall under HTS 9820.11.09 or 9820.11.12.
• Calendar January 31, 2027 (CE completion) and February 28, 2027 (TSR reporting) for every individually licensed broker on your team.
• If an acquisition or restructuring is pending, have the acquiring entity's ACE Portal account owner use the new merger request application.
• Avoid scheduling filings or portal changes between 10:00 p.m. ET on November 7 and 4:00 a.m. ET on November 8, 2026.

Key references

• CSMS # 70370373: CBP announcement of Quota Bulletin 26-408, 2027 CBTPA.
• QB 26-408 2027 Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act: CBP quota bulletin page.
• Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States: official tariff schedule, Chapter 98, Subchapter XX.
• CSMS # 70373554: broker CE and TSR deadline reminder.
• CSMS # 70362316: ACE Portal account merger request update.
• CSMS # 70370477: ACE maintenance window, November 7 to 8, 2026.