How to Fix a Rejected CAPE CSV and Resubmit It

ACE rejection is not a final answer on an IEEPA refund. It is a signal to identify which validation layer failed, correct the right thing, and send a new CAPE Declaration only for the entries that still need one.

This guide explains the first actions after a CAPE CSV is rejected: where to find the result file, when to rebuild the whole CSV, and when to submit only corrected entries.

Start With the Result File, Not a Second Upload

Open the CAPE tab in ACE, then go to File Uploads. Select the File Upload Job number and download the Validation Result File before editing your spreadsheet. If ACE created a CAPE claim number, open Claim Status as well and download Claim Details.

Those two downloads answer different questions:

CBP’s CAPE guidance says that a file-validation failure causes ACE to reject the Declaration and display the specific errors so the filer can correct them and submit a new CAPE Declaration. For an entry-specific failure, ACE removes that individual entry while continuing with the others; a corrected entry can be resubmitted separately. Source: CBP CSMS #68340863.

For the precise clicks in ACE, keep the ACE Portal CAPE filing guide open alongside the result file.

Fix File-Level Rejections by Rebuilding the Full CSV

File validation occurs before ACE accepts the Declaration. CBP checks whether the CSV has complete, properly formatted entry numbers, whether the submitter is the importer of record or the broker that filed the underlying entries, and whether the CSV is corrupted.

The most common cleanup checklist is short:

1. Download a fresh template from the CAPE Upload dialog instead of reusing an old workbook.
2. Keep Entry Number as the only header and put one complete 11-digit entry number on each following row.
3. Save as CSV (Comma delimited), not an Excel workbook or renamed file.
4. Remove duplicate rows and keep each Declaration at 9,999 entries or fewer.
5. Confirm the account belongs to the IOR or the broker that filed the entries.

If the failure is in this layer, correct the complete upload package and submit the full corrected CSV as a new Declaration. Use the CAPE CSV format guide to check the file before you re-upload it.

Fix Entry-Level Rejections One Entry at a Time

Passing file validation does not make every entry eligible. ACE then checks each submitted entry. CBP confirms that the entry exists in ACE and has an IEEPA Chapter 99 number; its published CAPE guidance also identifies several categories that are not accepted in the standard workflow.

CBP says a filer may correct an entry-specific error and submit that entry on a separate CAPE Declaration. Do not add back entries that ACE already accepted. CAPE rejects duplicate entries, including entries repeated across Declarations. For the error-by-error reference, see CAPE validation errors explained.

Use the Right Resubmission Rule

The practical rule is simple:

• The file failed: correct the whole file and re-upload the complete batch.
• Only some entries failed: preserve the accepted entries and submit only the corrected rejected rows on a new Declaration.
• The entry needs a status change or PSC: make that correction first, wait for ACE to reflect it when necessary, then submit the entry again.

Keep a small resubmission log with the original File Upload Job number, the claim number if one exists, the rejected entry numbers, the exact ACE message, the correction made, and the new Declaration number. This makes it much easier to avoid duplicate filings and to explain the history to a broker or attorney.

Do Not Let a Technical Fix Hide a Deadline Problem

Some CAPE results are not technical errors. An entry with an open protest, final liquidation, pending AD/CVD liquidation, or a reconciliation status may need a different recovery route. A new CSV cannot change the underlying legal posture.

In particular, the 180-day protest deadline runs independently of CAPE. If a material entry is approaching its deadline, assess a protective protest with trade counsel while the CAPE correction is underway. Read how CAPE, protest, and CIT paths differ before relying on an upload retry as the only plan.

A Five-Minute Refile Checklist

• Validation Result File saved
• Claim Details saved, if a claim number exists
• Accepted and rejected entries separated
• CSV corrected only for the error ACE identified
• No accepted entry copied into the new batch
• Entry count is 9,999 or fewer
• IOR, broker, and ACE account relationship rechecked
• Protest deadline reviewed for any liquidated entry

Update — July 17, 2026: CBP Confirms the Main File-Validation Failures

CBP’s latest CAPE progress declaration shows that this is a common operational problem, not an unusual edge case. As of 3:00 p.m. EDT on July 10, 2026, 229,609 CAPE Declarations had been submitted and 161,792 had passed file validation. CBP identified three primary reasons that a Declaration fails at this first stage:

• the importer of record or filer does not match the CAPE Declaration;
• the entry number is the wrong length or does not exist; or
• the .CSV file does not align with the template published in the ACE portal.

That makes the result-file sequence above especially important: correct the specific file-level problem, rebuild the complete file only when the file itself failed, and do not refile rows that ACE already accepted. Source: CBP Executive Director Brandon Lord, July 13, 2026 declaration, ¶ 3.

CBP’s July 8, 2026 Federal Register notice reaffirmed that a rejected CAPE CSV must be corrected and resubmitted, and that a CAPE Declaration has a 9,999-entry limit. Source: CBP Federal Register Doc. 2026-13771.

CAPE Portal Guide is not a law firm, customs broker, or government agency. For a material rejected-entry portfolio, especially one involving liquidation or protest timing, request a confidential assessment to be matched with a vetted trade-law professional.