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Customs protest and deadline calculator
Every refund clock on a US entry, each run from the date the law names: liquidation for protests, entry for PSCs and liquidation, importation for 520(d) claims and drawback. Add them to your calendar in one click.
Entry dates
Vessel: arrival within port limits with intent to unlade. Other modes: arrival in the US (19 CFR 101.1).
Release date, or entry summary filing date for summary-as-entry.
From ACE or the bulletin notice. Blank uses the 314-day estimate.
Only used in calendar event titles.
Deadlines
Last day to file a post summary correction (PSC)estimate
15 days before the estimated liquidation date (earlier than 300 days after entry). Runs from estimated liquidation date 2027-02-15. CBP post summary correction guidance
Sun, Jan 31, 2027
99 days left, falls on a weekend
Estimated liquidation (ACE 314-day cycle)estimate
314 days after the date of entry, unless extended or suspended. Runs from date of entry 2026-04-07. CBP PSC guidance, "314-day liquidation cycle"
Mon, Feb 15, 2027
114 days left
Post-importation FTA claim, 19 USC 1520(d)
1 year after the date of importation. Runs from date of importation 2026-04-02. 19 USC 1520(d); 19 CFR 182.31 (USMCA)
Fri, Apr 2, 2027
160 days left
Deemed liquidation if CBP has not liquidated or extended
1 year from the date of entry. Runs from date of entry 2026-04-07. 19 USC 1504(a); 19 CFR 159.11(a)
Wed, Apr 7, 2027
165 days left
Protest deadline (CBP Form 19)estimate
180 days after the date of estimated liquidation. Runs from estimated liquidation date 2027-02-15. 19 USC 1514(c)(3); 19 CFR 174.12(e)
Sat, Aug 14, 2027
294 days left, falls on a weekend
Outer limit for liquidation with extensions
4 years from the date of entry (suspensions by statute or court order can run longer). Runs from date of entry 2026-04-07. 19 USC 1504(b); 19 CFR 159.12
Sun, Apr 7, 2030
1261 days left, falls on a weekend
Drawback claim deadline
5 years after the date of importation of the designated merchandise. Runs from date of importation 2026-04-02. 19 CFR 190.51(e)(1)
Wed, Apr 2, 2031
1621 days left
Countdown from Sat, Oct 24, 2026 (UTC). No weekend or holiday rollover is applied; file early when a date lands on a non-business day.
Three different start dates
Customs deadlines do not all run from the entry date. The date of importation is when the goods arrive in the US; for vessel cargo it is the day the vessel arrives within port limits intending to unlade (19 CFR 101.1). The date of entry is usually the release date (19 CFR 141.68). Liquidation is the date CBP finalizes duties on the entry.
Using the entry date for a clock that runs from importation gives a deadline that is too late. An ocean shipment that sits at the port for a week before entry would lose a week from its 520(d) claim and drawback windows. This calculator keeps the two dates separate.
The protest window
A protest on CBP Form 19 must be filed within 180 days after the date of liquidation for entries made on or after December 18, 2004, and within 90 days for earlier entries (19 USC 1514(c)(3), 19 CFR 174.12(e)). A protest is filed on the day CBP receives it (174.12(f)), so leave margin when a date lands on a weekend.
If you do not have the liquidation date yet, the calculator estimates it at 314 days after entry, the ACE liquidation cycle CBP refers to in its PSC guidance. Check ACE for the actual date: CBP can extend liquidation, and suspended entries do not liquidate on schedule.
Corrections before liquidation
A post summary correction must be filed within 300 days of the date of entry and at least 15 days before the scheduled liquidation date, whichever comes first. ACE rejects PSCs outside that window. An entry that is not liquidated or extended within 1 year of entry is deemed liquidated as entered (19 USC 1504(a)); with extensions the outer limit is 4 years.
Claims that run from importation
A post-importation preference claim under 19 USC 1520(d) (for example a USMCA claim not made at entry) must be filed within 1 year after the date of importation (19 CFR 182.31). An entry flagged for FTA reconciliation must be reconciled within 12 months of the importation date of the oldest flagged entry, with no extensions.
Drawback claims must be filed within 5 years after the date the designated merchandise was imported (19 CFR 190.51(e)(1)). Reconciliations for value, classification or 9802 are due 21 months from the entry summary date of the oldest flagged entry.
Worked examples
Ocean entry, not liquidated yet
- Vessel arrives 2026-01-10, entry 2026-01-15
- Est. liquidation = entry + 314 = 2026-11-25
- PSC = earlier of entry + 300 (11-11) and liq. - 15 (11-10)
- Protest = 2026-11-25 + 180 = 2027-05-24
- 1520(d) = importation + 1 year = 2027-01-10
PSC by Nov 10, 2026; 520(d) by Jan 10, 2027 (not Jan 15)
Load this exampleAlready liquidated
- Entry 2025-06-04, liquidated 2026-04-17
- Protest = 2026-04-17 + 180 days
- Drawback = importation 2025-06-02 + 5 years
Protest by Oct 14, 2026; drawback by Jun 2, 2030
Load this exampleFrequently asked questions
›How long do I have to file a customs protest?
180 days after the date of liquidation for entries made on or after December 18, 2004 (19 USC 1514(c)(3); 19 CFR 174.12(e)). Entries before that date had 90 days.
›Does the protest clock start at entry?
No. It starts at liquidation, or at the date of the decision being protested (for example a denied 520(d) claim). Liquidation is often about 314 days after entry, so the protest deadline can be well over a year after entry.
›When is the last day to file a PSC?
300 days after the date of entry or 15 days before the scheduled liquidation date, whichever is earlier. With a 314-day liquidation that is day 299.
›Is the 520(d) deadline 1 year from entry or from importation?
From importation. 19 USC 1520(d) requires the claim within 1 year after the date of importation. For ocean cargo that is the vessel arrival date, which can be days before entry.
›How long do I have to claim drawback?
5 years after the date the merchandise designated as the basis for the claim was imported (19 CFR 190.51(e)(1)).
›Does a deadline move if it falls on a weekend?
The regulations cited here do not provide a rollover, and a protest counts as filed on the day CBP receives it (19 CFR 174.12(f)). File before the date rather than rely on a later business day.
›What does the .ics file contain?
One all-day calendar event per upcoming deadline with a reminder 14 days before, the rule, the start date it runs from and the legal citation. It is generated in your browser and is not uploaded anywhere.