Formal and Informal Entry Filing in the ACE System, Done Right

A formal entry is required when the shipment value is over $2,500, or when the goods are regulated, quota-controlled, or subject to certain textile and trade-remedy rules regardless of value. Below $2,500 and otherwise unrestricted, most shipments can move as an informal entry. We confirm the threshold against your actual entered value, which includes the goods, and check for any rule that overrides it.

Usually no. Informal entries generally do not require a customs bond because duty is collected at the time of entry. Formal entries do require a bond, either a single-transaction bond for a one-off shipment or a continuous bond if you import regularly. There are exceptions, such as goods held by a partner government agency, where a bond can still be required, so we confirm your bond position before filing.

ACE is the Automated Commercial Environment, CBP’s electronic system for filing and processing import entries. Every formal and informal entry, along with the entry summary on Form 7501, is transmitted to CBP through ACE. As your broker we file directly in ACE under our filer code, which is how your cargo gets cleared and released.

No. Deliberately breaking one shipment into smaller consignments to stay under the informal threshold is treated by CBP as a valuation violation and can lead to penalties. If your shipment genuinely qualifies for informal entry we file it that way. If it does not, the right move is a properly filed formal entry, not a workaround.

The entry type tells CBP how to process your goods. Type 01 is a standard consumption entry, 11 is informal, 03 covers antidumping and countervailing duty merchandise, 06 is for foreign trade zone withdrawals, and 23 is a temporary import bond. The wrong type can misstate your duty liability or trigger a rejected entry, so we select it based on the commodity, its origin, and how the goods will be used.