Answer first
Core rule
Answer first: choose the legal procedure from the facts before choosing an ACE code. Part 142 governs entry and release documentation, Part 143 permits informal entry only for eligible merchandise and generally uses the $2,500 value ceiling in §143.21, and Part 144 governs warehouse entries. Eligibility for an informal route is not automatic: statutory exclusions and CBP's authority to require formal entry still control. For the October 2026 CBLE, apply the designated 2025 CFR and ACE Instructions 2.4a rather than a later operational version.
Authority and lookup route
Locate the rule before returning to the facts. Links point to government or official publications.
Reference lookup task
For one shipment, identify the release procedure, test informal-entry eligibility, and then confirm whether a warehouse route changes the governing Part.
Route: Read §142.3, then §§143.21–143.23, and open Part 144 only if the facts request bonded-warehouse entry.
Worked example
Ordinary merchandise valued at $1,800 is imported for consumption. No special restriction applies. Does the value alone guarantee informal entry?
- 1Identify consumption, not warehouse or in-bond movement, as the requested procedure.
- 2Compare the value with the general ceiling in §143.21.
- 3Check the merchandise classes and exclusions in §§143.21–143.23.
- 4Preserve CBP's authority to require formal entry even when the value test is met.
Conclusion: The shipment may be eligible for informal entry, but value alone does not guarantee that route.
Common traps
- Treating an ACE entry-type code as the source of legal eligibility.
- Assuming every shipment below $2,500 must be entered informally.
- Using a consumption-entry route when the facts require warehouse or in-bond treatment.
- Replacing the exam-designated CFR and ACE instructions with a later live-operational version.