A rejected ACE manifest means CBP never accepted the bill, so you fix the data and send it again. An accepted bill that turns out to be wrong is different: you correct it with an amendment that adds, deletes or replaces the bill, and each change needs a reason code. This guide walks through both, using the rules and code lists CBP publishes.
Operations teams often say a manifest was "rejected" when CBP actually did something else. The fix depends on which of these you are looking at, so read the response message before anyone touches the bill.
| Situation | What it means | How it is fixed |
|---|---|---|
| Rejection | ACE did not accept the transmission or the bill. Nothing is on file for that bill. | Correct the data and retransmit the bill as an original. |
| Hold or Do Not Load | The bill is on file, but CBP has placed a hold, for example for an invalid description, shipper or consignee. | Correct the data with an amendment, then wait for CBP to post the matching removal code. |
| Discrepancy | The bill was accepted, but what arrived does not match what was manifested (shortage or overage). | Report and explain it under 19 CFR 4.12, usually through an amendment with the right reason code. |
The rest of this article takes each case in turn. If you are new to the filing itself, start with what ACE AMS filing is and who must file.
For ocean imports, 19 CFR 4.7a lists what the cargo declaration must contain: the carrier SCAC and voyage, the last foreign port, quantities from the master or house bill, the shipper and consignee, container and seal numbers, hazardous material codes when they apply, and a precise cargo description or the 6-digit HTS number. The regulation states that generic descriptions such as "FAK", "general cargo" and "STC" are not acceptable.
CBP turned that rule into an automatic check. Its trade notice CBP-190 says that beginning September 27, 2025, ACE automatically rejects manifest submissions with insufficient cargo descriptions, consignee information or shipper information, and returns these error codes:
Other rejections are technical: a missing mandatory element, a bad port code, a bill number that does not follow the required structure. Under 4.7a, every bill number starts with the issuer's four-character SCAC, can be up to 16 characters in total, and cannot be reused for another bill for 3 years. A duplicate or malformed bill number will not get through.
For cargo bound for the United States, CBP must receive the electronic cargo declaration 24 hours before the cargo is laden aboard the vessel at the foreign port (19 CFR 4.7(b)(2)), with limited exceptions for bulk and approved break bulk cargo. A rejection eats into that window, so work it in order:
Once a bill is on file, you no longer send it "fresh." You send an amendment. In CBP's ANSI X12 309 implementation guide, the manifest type code distinguishes an original manifest from an amendment, and the M13 "Manifest Amendment Details" segment is used to correct a manifest record before arrival or to amend it after arrival. CAMIR filers use the A01 amendment record for the same purpose.
CBP accepts three amendment types:
| Amendment type | Use it when | CBP disposition you should receive |
|---|---|---|
| A: Add a bill of lading | A bill was left off the manifest or must be re-added after a delete. | 55 Carrier bill - add (only when delete and add are sent together and the bill is on file) |
| D: Delete a bill of lading | The cargo was not laden, or the bill was duplicated. | 54 Carrier bill - delete |
| R: Replace quantity | The manifested quantity was wrong, but the bill itself is valid. | 56 Carrier bill - change |
Every amendment also carries a reason code. CBP's list includes, among others, 01 not laden aboard per evidence from the foreign shipper or an amended bill of lading, 03 clerical error in manifesting per the bill of lading in files, 05 erroneously duplicated by another bill on the same manifest, and 11 overage omitted from the manifest through clerical error. Several codes refer to "evidence in our files," which is a reminder to keep that evidence where you can find it.
To change a bill's data, such as a description or a consignee, the common pattern is a delete and an add of the same bill sent together. Confirm the exact sequence for your case in the CAMIR or X12 guide, or with your CBP client representative.
When CBP places a hold for bad data, ACE tells you with a disposition code. CAMIR Ocean Appendix D lists 6H Do Not Load (invalid cargo description, shipper or consignee hold placed; the cargo should not be loaded) and 6I Okay to Load when it is removed. There are also separate holds for an invalid shipper (4H), an invalid cargo description (8H) and an invalid consignee (9H).
Per the appendix, the matching removal codes (4I, 8I, 9I) are generated when the amended shipper, description or consignee is valid. In practice: correct the bill with an amendment, then watch for the removal code before you treat the cargo as clear. CBP-190 says trade users are expected to work with the shipper and the bill of lading issuer to correct the issue.
Some errors only show up at discharge. Under 19 CFR 4.12, vessel masters or agents must report shortages (manifested but not found) and overages (found but not manifested). Overages must be reported within 60 days after the date of entry of the vessel. If CBP finds a discrepancy you did not report, you have 30 days after notification, or 60 days after vessel entry, whichever is later, to resolve it.
The regulation defines a "clerical error" as a non-negligent, inadvertent or typographical mistake. Unless the explanation is timely and CBP is satisfied the discrepancy was clerical with no loss of revenue, penalties under 19 U.S.C. 1584 apply. The same section warns that repeated similar discrepancies by the same parties may be treated as negligence.
19 CFR 4.7(e) says a master who fails to provide manifest information, or does not transmit it on time, may be liable for civil penalties under 19 U.S.C. 1436, in addition to $5,000 in liquidated damages under the international carrier bond for each violation discovered. An NVOCC that elects to file directly and fails to do so properly may be liable for $5,000 in liquidated damages per violation. Confirm how these apply to your case with your customs broker or attorney.
Most corrections trace back to the same few sources: a vague description copied from a booking, a consignee typed differently in two places, or a quantity entered as containers instead of the lowest external packaging unit. Filing from the same bills of lading your team already issued removes the retyping step. That is how the ACE module in GDZ-ISIS works: it uploads the manifest from the bills already in the system and keeps each shipment updated with CBP approvals, holds and inspections, so the person fixing a bill sees the CBP status in the same place. To see the workflow on your own lanes, schedule a demo.
According to CBP trade notice CBP-190, error 548 means "Invalid cargo description." ACE rejects the filing because the description is too vague for CBP to identify the commodity. Replace it with a precise description or the 6-digit HTS number.
Send an amendment with the delete type (D in the X12 309 M13 segment) and a valid amendment reason code, such as not laden aboard. CBP should answer with disposition code 54, Carrier bill - delete. Check the CAMIR or X12 guide for the exact format your system uses.
Yes, by amending the bill. The usual pattern is to delete and add the bill together with the corrected data. If CBP placed an invalid consignee hold (9H), the removal code 9I is generated when the amended consignee is valid.
Under 19 CFR 4.12, overages must be reported within 60 days after the date of entry of the vessel. If CBP notifies you of an unreported discrepancy, you have 30 days after notification or 60 days after entry, whichever is later.
No. A rejection means the data was not accepted, and you can correct and resend it. Penalties and liquidated damages come from late, missing, false or unexplained manifest information under 19 CFR 4.7 and 4.12. Fix rejections quickly so they do not turn into late filings.