Saving and Exporting ACE Reports: Training Guide

The ACE Reports application¹ is a vital tool for U.S. importers seeking to enhance compliance, monitor duties, and ensure accuracy in customs reporting. Understanding how to efficiently access and manage ACE Reports can save you time and money.

ACE Reports allow U.S. importers to turn CBP entry data² into actionable compliance and finance insights—monitoring entry activity, duties and fees, tariff exposure, and broker filing accuracy. Importers use ACE reporting to catch HTS/UOQ errors³ early, reconcile duty spend, support PSC/protests/drawback, and improve delivery performance by spotting trends in holds and delays.

To utilize ACE Reports effectively, understanding their purpose, navigating the application, and establishing best practices are crucial. In this guide, I will walk you through the essential steps for saving and exporting ACE Reports⁴, ensuring your compliance reporting is efficient and reliable.

What ACE Reports are used for?

ACE Reports serve multiple purposes for U.S. importers. They enable duty reconciliation, compliance monitoring, broker audit checks, and shipment visibility. Here are some specific use cases for ACE Reports:

1. Duty Trend Analysis: Track and analyze how your duties change over time.
2. Section 301 Exposure⁵: Monitor tariffs imposed under Section 301 to manage costs better.
3. MPF/HMF Checks⁶: Ensure compliance with the Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) and Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF) regulations.
4. Entry Volume Statistics: Review entry volume data to assess trends in your imports.
5. Broker KPIs⁷: Audit broker performance metrics to maintain compliance and accuracy.
6. HTS/UOQ Error Detection: Identify errors in Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) and unit of quantity (UOQ) early in the process.

ACE is your source-of-truth dataset for CBP filings, providing critical insights into your import operations.

To fully leverage ACE Reports, you need to know how to access the ACE Reports application¹ correctly.

How to access the ACE Reports application¹ correctly?

Accessing the ACE Reports application¹ properly is the first step to successful reporting. Your access depends on how your ACE Secure Data Portal⁸ account is set up. You'll need to verify that the necessary permissions and roles are assigned to your account.

Access to ACE Reports depends on your ACE Secure Data Portal⁸ account setup and user permissions. Importers must ensure the correct application entitlements are enabled and that internal users have reporting roles assigned. Once inside ACE Reports, users should learn the navigation basics—report categories⁹, search filters, saved templates¹⁰, and report history—so recurring compliance reporting becomes repeatable.

Here’s how to navigate to ACE Reports:

1. ACE Secure Data Portal⁸
2. Applications
3. ACE Reports
4. Run Reports / Report List / Saved Reports / Export

Once you have accessed the ACE Reports application¹, running standard reports¹¹ efficiently is the next step.

How to run standard ACE reports efficiently?

Running ACE reports can seem daunting, but with the right approach, you can streamline the process. Many issues arise from incorrect filters or date ranges, so it’s crucial to understand how to use the reporting tools effectively.

Most ACE reporting issues are caused by incorrect filters or date ranges. Importers should start with standard reports¹¹, apply filters one at a time, and validate results against a known shipment or entry number. Using the right date range logic (entry date vs release date vs import date) prevents empty reports and ensures data matches broker statements and accounting records.

Mandatory Table: Standard Reports vs Ad Hoc Reports

Report Type	Best For	Strengths	Risks	Example Use Case
Standard Report	Quick insights	Prebuilt, fast access	May lack tailored data	Monthly duty trends
Ad Hoc/Custom Report12	Detailed analysis	Highly customizable	Complexity increases	Specific entry audits
Scheduled Recurring Report	Ongoing tracking	Automation of tasks	Potential for missed alerts	Weekly compliance checks

Mandatory Mini-List: “Fast Validation Test¹³”

1. Run a 30-day report first.
2. Test with a known entry number.
3. Confirm totals vs broker monthly statement.
4. Confirm units/amounts look reasonable.

Once you’ve run your reports, the next item on the agenda is saving report templates and building favorites to enhance productivity.

How to save report templates and build favorites?

For efficient reporting, saving templates allows you to use the same configurations repeatedly. This prevents the hassle of recreating filters every time.

Saved templates turn ACE reporting into a repeatable process. Instead of rebuilding filters every time, importers should save report configurations (date logic, port filters, broker filters, HTS groupings) and store them as standardized “favorites.” This enables weekly/monthly compliance routines and allows multiple team members to run the same report consistently for auditing and KPI tracking.

Naming Convention Best Practices

• Use clear names like “ACE_DutySpend_12M_AllPorts.”
• Ensure consistent ownership/versioning of templates among team members.

With templates saved, the focus shifts to exporting ACE Reports⁴ for further analysis.

How to export ACE Reports for analysis?

Exporting your ACE Reports correctly is vital for compliance analysis. You have various options for exporting data, each with its benefits.

Exporting ACE Reports correctly is essential for compliance analysis. Importers should select the best output format (Excel/CSV-like/text/PDF¹⁴), understand row or file-size limits, and export in a structure that supports pivot tables and dashboards. The goal is a clean dataset with consistent column headers, stable date fields, and standardized file naming for monthly reporting.

Mandatory Table: Export Format Comparison

Format	Best For	Pros	Cons	Importer Recommendation
Excel	Data analysis	Pivot table support	May require manual formatting	Ideal for complex datasets
Text/CSV-style export	Raw data handling	Easy to import/export	Limited formatting	Good for text analysis
PDF	Reporting	Fixed format	Not easily manipulated	Use for official reporting

Mandatory Checklist: “Clean Dataset Setup”

• Maintain standard column mapping.
• Avoid manual edits to the source file.
• Add a separate “analysis” copy.
• Store raw exports in a folder by month.

Now that you know how to export ACE Reports, it’s time to discuss best practices for ACE reporting.

Importer best practices for ACE reporting

Implementing a structured workflow for ACE reporting contributes to effective compliance management. A monthly review process¹⁵ can significantly reduce overpayments and compliance risks.

The best importers treat ACE reporting like a monthly close process. A simple workflow—export key reports, compare to broker statements, flag exceptions, and document corrective actions—reduces overpayment and compliance exposure. When reporting is consistent, importers can track duty/tariff trends, monitor broker accuracy, and maintain audit-ready evidence for CBP inquiries.

Monthly Importer ACE Audit Workflow¹⁶ (Step-by-Step SOP)

1. Run duty spend report (last month + YTD).
2. Run entry activity report (counts, ports, brokers).
3. Run high-risk HTS change list.
4. Review UOQ anomalies.
5. Spot-check top 20 duty lines.
6. Match totals to broker statement.
7. Flag exceptions (duty spikes, missing entries, unusual MPF/HMF).
8. Notify broker with correction request / PSC review.
9. Save evidence package.
10. Update KPI dashboard¹⁷ and monthly notes.

Mandatory Report Filter Cheat Sheet

Filter Type	What it Controls	When to Use	Common Mistake	Best Practice
Date Type (Entry vs Release Date)	Timeframe of data	For specific reporting needs	Confusing report outcomes	Use appropriate date logic
Port Code	Geographic filter	When tracking port activity	Overlooking multiple ports	Specify whenever possible
Importer Number/IOR	Importer identification	For broker-specific reports	Leaving out vital identifiers	Always include
Broker Filer Code (if applicable)	Broker identification	For auditing broker activity	Incorrect broker attribution	Double-check before running
HTS/Chapter Filter	Product classification	For specific tariff checks	Broad filtering	Narrow down for accuracy
Manufacturer/Supplier Reference	Supplier tracking	To follow particular suppliers	Assuming all products are accounted	Maintain detailed records
Mode (Ocean/Air/Truck)	Mode of transport	When analyzing shipping methods	Missing mode specifications	Specify the mode
Entry Type	Type of customs entry	For entry type specific reports	Generalizing entry types	Use specific entry types

Mandatory Workflow Diagram (Text Visual)

Importer → Broker → ACE Review Loop

Broker files entries
→ Importer exports ACE reports monthly
→ Importer reconciles duties/entries
→ Exceptions flagged (HTS/UOQ/value/fees)
→ Broker correction (PSC/post-entry action where appropriate)
→ SOP updated to prevent repeat errors
→ KPI reporting to leadership

Conclusion

By following these guidelines and best practices, U.S. importers can build an efficient ACE reporting SOP, ensuring compliance and fostering better relationships with brokers.

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