ITRAC: Importer Trade Activity Data Requests Explained

Key Points

• ITRAC (Importer Trade Activity) data is an extract of an importer's own entry summary data that the importer requests from CBP under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552.
• The importer of record, its counsel, or a broker holding a power of attorney submits the ITRAC request through CBP's FOIA process for a specific date range and importer number.
• ITRAC data is used to reconcile broker filings and to prepare for a Focused Assessment or a prior disclosure, but it is not a CBP audit product and does not clear any entry.
• Because ACE Reports now gives importer accounts the same entry summary data on demand, ITRAC mainly serves importers without an ACE portal account or importers needing a historical extract.
• Fees, turnaround times, and file layouts for ITRAC are not fixed here; confirm them on cbp.gov before filing a request.

On this page

1. At a glance
2. What is ITRAC data and where does it come from?
3. Who requests ITRAC data and how?
4. What do importers use ITRAC data for?
5. Common ITRAC request errors
6. How does ITRAC compare with ACE Reports and other ACE tools?
7. Frequently asked questions
8. What importers and brokers should do
9. Key references

ITRAC is the Importer Trade Activity data extract: the entry summary header and line data CBP holds under an importer's number, released to that importer on request under the Freedom of Information Act. Importers, their counsel, and brokers acting under a power of attorney use ITRAC after entries are filed, typically to audit broker filings and prepare for compliance reviews. It sits at the post-summary stage of the entry lifecycle and is not a CBP audit product.

At a glance

• Full name: Importer Trade Activity (ITRAC) data
• Who prepares or uses it: CBP produces it; the importer of record, its counsel, or a broker with a power of attorney requests and uses it
• When in the lifecycle: After entry summaries are filed, for any past date range the requester specifies
• System or channel: CBP's FOIA process, not ACE or ABI
• Governing authority: Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552
• Fees, turnaround, file layout: Varies; confirm with CBP on cbp.gov
• Related terms: ES-001, ES-002, ACE Reports data dictionary, ACE Reports Modernized, proxy TAO

What is ITRAC data and where does it come from?

ITRAC data is a copy of the entry summary records CBP already holds for one importer number, released to that importer through a Freedom of Information Act request rather than generated by an ACE report. The links in this article go to the primary documents: the statute, CBP's FOIA pages, and the official program pages themselves. Read the source.

The legal basis is the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552, which lets a requester obtain agency records, including records about its own transactions. Before ACE Reports existed, an ITRAC extract was the practical way for an importer to see exactly what its brokers had transmitted to CBP in its name. As of October 2026, the request still runs through CBP's FOIA program, and the extract contains entry summary header and line data, not every field a broker sees in its own system.

Who requests ITRAC data and how?

An ITRAC request is made by the importer of record, or on its behalf by counsel or a customs broker holding the importer's power of attorney, through CBP's FOIA office. The requester identifies the importer number (with the correct suffix) and the date range, and CBP returns the data held under that number for that period.

What the request should specify

• The exact importer of record number and suffix used on the entries
• The date range to be covered
• Proof of authority where a broker or attorney files for the importer

CBP's FOIA pages set out the current submission method. This article does not state fees, processing times, or the delivered file format; confirm each on cbp.gov at the time of the ITRAC request.

What do importers use ITRAC data for?

ITRAC data is used mainly to reconcile what brokers filed against the importer's own records and to find errors before CBP does. Typical findings include:

• Duplicate entries filed for the same shipment
• Unexpected HTS numbers that do not match the importer's classification database (see the 2026 tariff code overview)
• Missed special program indicator (SPI) claims
• Wrong manufacturer identification codes
• Over-collected fees

Importers also pull ITRAC data to prepare for a Focused Assessment or to scope a prior disclosure. Errors found this way may lead to corrective filings; where a liquidated entry is disputed, the ACE protest module (the ACE Secure Data Portal function for filing, amending and tracking protests, the electronic CBP Form 19, under 19 U.S.C. 1514 and 19 CFR part 174) is the electronic channel. Entries flagged under ACE reconciliation (ACE Reconciliation, entry type 09) will show that flag in the data, which helps confirm open issues are tracked.

Common ITRAC request errors

Most ITRAC problems come from asking for the wrong records or reading the extract as more than it is.

• Wrong importer number or suffix: entries filed under another suffix will not appear, leaving gaps that look like missing filings.
• Expecting broker-only fields: ITRAC reflects what CBP holds, so broker internal references and data that never reached CBP are absent. Supporting images sent through the DIS (Document Image System, CBP's ACE channel for transmitting invoices, certificates, permits and similar documents tied to an entry) are not part of the entry summary extract.
• Treating the extract as an audit clearance: ITRAC is not a CBP audit product. Receiving clean-looking data does not mean CBP has reviewed or accepted the entries.
• Confusing it with other documents: ITRAC is not ACE Reports, not the ACE entry summary transaction a broker transmits, and not CBP Form 28, which is CBP's request for information on a specific entry.

How does ITRAC compare with ACE Reports and other ACE tools?

ITRAC and ACE Reports draw on the same entry summary data, but ACE Reports delivers it on demand inside an importer's ACE portal account while ITRAC requires a FOIA request. Importers with an ACE account can run ES-001 (ACE Reports ES-001 Entry Summary Header Details, one row per entry summary) and ES-002 (ACE Reports ES-002 Entry Summary Line Details, one row per line item) themselves; see our guides to ES-001 and ES-002. The ACE Reports data dictionary (CBP's published reference defining each ACE Reports data object, its source record and meaning) is a useful key when mapping ITRAC columns to ACE Reports fields.

ACE Reports Modernized, the rebuilt ACE Reports platform CBP is rolling out to replace the legacy tool, offers the same trade data on a new interface, not a new data source; see ACE Reports Modernized: What Changes for Brokers and Importers. Access depends on account setup: a Trade Account Owner or a proxy TAO (ACE Trade Account Owner proxy, a user the owner designates to manage users and permissions) grants report access. A proxy TAO is not a power of attorney and does not authorize an ITRAC request.

Neither ITRAC nor ES-001 replaces specialized data. Antidumping and countervailing duty case details published through ACE AD/CVD case management (the ACE function and public ADCVD Search for Commerce case numbers, rates and instructions) should be checked there, and carrier manifest data in ACE truck eManifest (the electronic truck manifest highway carriers transmit before arrival at a U.S. land border port) is not importer entry data at all. More on ACE is on CBP's ACE program page.

Frequently asked questions

Is ITRAC a CBP audit?

No. ITRAC is a data extract CBP releases on request under FOIA. It does not mean CBP has reviewed, accepted or cleared any entry, and it is not a Focused Assessment.

Do I still need ITRAC if I have ACE Reports?

Usually not for routine monitoring, since ACE Reports gives importer accounts the same entry summary data on demand. ITRAC remains useful for importers without a portal account or when a historical extract is needed.

Can my broker request ITRAC data for me?

Yes, a broker holding the importer's power of attorney, or the importer's counsel, may submit the ITRAC request through CBP's FOIA process on the importer's behalf.

How much does an ITRAC request cost and how long does it take?

This article does not state fees or turnaround times for ITRAC. Confirm both on CBP's FOIA pages at cbp.gov before submitting.

What importers and brokers should do

• Confirm every importer number and suffix used on your entries before filing an ITRAC request, so the extract is complete.
• If you have an ACE portal account, run ES-001 and ES-002 for current monitoring and reserve ITRAC for periods or users without ACE access.
• Reconcile the extract line by line against broker invoices and your classification records, logging duplicates, HTS mismatches, missed SPI claims, MID errors and fee over-collections.
• Use findings to scope corrective action, and run the duty calculator to estimate the impact before deciding next steps.

Key references

• 5 U.S.C. 552, Freedom of Information Act: the statute under which ITRAC data is requested.
• CBP Freedom of Information Act program: CBP's FOIA process, where the ITRAC request is submitted and current requirements are posted.
• CBP Automated Commercial Environment: CBP's ACE landing page, including ACE Reports resources.