CBP’s centralized processing model changes how brokers and importers reach the specialists handling drawback claims. Since April 22, 2026, ACE-transmitted claims have routed directly to the Petroleum, Natural Gas and Minerals Center, making importer-of-record data, filing dates, and accurate contact selection essential to efficient follow-up.
Understanding the PNGM Center Drawback Transition
What changed for ACE-transmitted claims
The drawback program and its Drawback Specialists were consolidated under the Petroleum, Natural Gas and Minerals Center of Excellence and Expertise, commonly called the PNGM Center, on October 6, 2025. The operational routing change took effect on April 22, 2026, when drawback claims transmitted through the Automated Commercial Environment began routing directly to the PNGM Center.
Claims entering this centralized structure are assigned to Team FDK. They are then routed internally based on the first character of the importer of record, or IOR, associated with the claim. For brokers managing multiple drawback programs, this means the applicable specialist contact may differ from one client to another even when the claims involve the same drawback provision or commodity category.
The transition does not generally change the electronic filing method. Filers should continue transmitting drawback claims through ACE in accordance with the Customs and Trade Automated Interface Requirements, or CATAIR. Specialist email addresses are intended for communication and case follow-up; they are not substitutes for transmitting claims in ACE.
Operationally, the most important distinction is between filing and correspondence. ACE remains the system of record for electronic claim submission, while the IOR-based routing table identifies the office email that should typically receive claim-specific questions. Brokers should therefore verify the IOR shown on the drawback claim before contacting a specialist rather than relying on the claimant’s trade name, broker location, port history, or prior office assignment.
Finding the Correct Drawback Specialist Email
Use the first character of the IOR
The appropriate email address is determined by the first character of the importer of record associated with the drawback claim. Alphabetic characters are grouped among six established office mailboxes, while IORs beginning with a number route to the Chicago mailbox.
The routing table is:
| First IOR character | Drawback specialist email |
|---|---|
| Numbers, N, O, P, Q, Y | ChicagoDrawback@cbp.dhs.gov |
| A, H, T, Z | SanFranciscoDrawback@cbp.dhs.gov |
| B, I, U, V, W | NewYorkDrawback@cbp.dhs.gov |
| C, E, K, S | HoustonDrawback@cbp.dhs.gov |
| D, L, M, R | OaklandDrawback@cbp.dhs.gov |
| F, G, J, X | NewarkDrawback@cbp.dhs.gov (DetroitDrawback@cbp.dhs.gov) |
Brokers should apply the table to the actual IOR identifier used in the ACE claim. The routing method does not depend on the first letter of the importer’s legal name unless that letter is also the first character of the relevant IOR.
Avoid assumptions based on geography
The city names in the mailbox addresses should not be treated as geographic jurisdiction rules. A claimant headquartered in California may route to New York, Houston, or another listed mailbox depending on the first character of its IOR. Likewise, the port through which merchandise entered or was exported does not generally determine Team FDK’s internal assignment.
For the F, G, J, and X group, brokers should preserve the published contact notation—NewarkDrawback@cbp.dhs.gov with DetroitDrawback@cbp.dhs.gov shown in parentheses—rather than creating or inferring an alternative address. When uncertainty involves PNGM Center administration, Thomas.J.Kendrick@cbp.dhs.gov is the designated center contact. Policy questions and ACE technical matters should be directed to OTDRAWBACK@cbp.dhs.gov.
A Broker Workflow for Claim Follow-Up
Verify the claim before sending an inquiry
A disciplined workflow reduces misrouted correspondence and gives the receiving specialist enough information to identify the claim. Before sending an email, the broker should confirm the claim number, claimant information, IOR, filing date, ACE acceptance status, and whether the matter concerns a claim, privilege application, or ruling application.
The broker should then identify the first character of the IOR and select the corresponding mailbox from the routing table. Internal client profiles and standard operating procedures should be updated so that personnel do not continue using legacy contacts automatically. This is particularly important for high-volume brokerage operations where teams may rely on templates copied from earlier claims.
A useful step-by-step process is:
- Confirm that the claim was transmitted through ACE.
- Review the filing or submission date.
- Determine whether the matter qualifies for legacy-office handling.
- Validate the IOR shown on the claim.
- Use the IOR’s first character to select the Team FDK mailbox.
- Include enough claim-identifying information for efficient research.
- Direct policy or ACE technical questions to OTDRAWBACK@cbp.dhs.gov.
- Escalate PNGM Center administrative questions to Thomas.J.Kendrick@cbp.dhs.gov when appropriate.
Separate case questions from technical issues
Not every problem should go to the assigned drawback mailbox. Questions about a specific claim’s status, documentation, review, or specialist assignment will generally belong with the IOR-based office. Questions involving ACE transmission behavior, CATAIR implementation, or broader drawback policy should go to OTDRAWBACK@cbp.dhs.gov.
Before escalating an apparent routing problem, brokers should also check ACE responses and internal transmission logs. A rejected claim has not necessarily entered the same workflow as an accepted claim. Distinguishing a system rejection from a specialist review issue can prevent unnecessary delays and duplicated correspondence.
Managing Grandfathered and Paper Drawback Matters
Determine whether the original office retains the case
Not every drawback matter moved into the new routing structure. Claims, privilege applications, and ruling applications submitted before April 21, 2026, remain with the original office. Remaining paper claims filed before ACE processing also stay with the office already responsible for them.
This grandfathering rule makes the submission date a critical routing field. A broker should not redirect an older matter solely because a current ACE claim for the same client now routes through the PNGM Center. The claimant may have active matters in two workflows: legacy submissions handled by an original drawback office and newer electronic claims handled by Team FDK.
The distinction applies to the individual submission, not simply to the customer relationship. For example, a privilege application submitted before April 21, 2026, may remain with its original office even though claims filed through ACE on or after April 22 route to the PNGM Center. Brokers should maintain separate case records and contact histories for each matter.
Build a defensible routing record
A practical case file should document the submission date, submission method, ACE claim number when applicable, IOR, assigned contact, and basis for the routing decision. This record helps prevent multiple teams from contacting different offices about the same issue.
Legacy paper matters require particular care because they may not provide the same electronic status visibility as current ACE claims. Brokers should retain prior correspondence and continue working with the established office unless directed otherwise. They should not assume that centralization automatically transferred every open paper file.
Brokerage managers should also review shared inboxes, contact directories, client work instructions, and escalation matrices. Removing obsolete default routing rules while preserving historical contacts for grandfathered matters allows staff to distinguish new claims from legacy cases without losing institutional knowledge.
- CBP issued CSMS #68577428 on May 8, 2026, confirming that the drawback program (consolidated under the PNGM Center on October 6, 2025) now routes ACE-transmitted claims directly to the PNGM Center effective April 22, 2026; claims are assigned to Team FDK and internally routed by the first character of the IOR, with specified email contacts (e.g., ChicagoDrawback@cbp.dhs.gov for numbers/N/O/P/Q/Y) and grandfathering for pre-April 21, 2026 filings plus remaining paper claims.
- Trade service providers summarized the change shortly after: Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg issued a May 11, 2026 Trade Report, and Expeditors published a May 19/20, 2026 Newsflash, both noting continued ACE/CATAIR filing with no process changes for filers and directing questions to Thomas.J.Kendrick@cbp.dhs.gov or OTDRAWBACK@cbp.dhs.gov.
- On July 23, 2026, CBP Houston Field Office Director Jud Murdock posted on X about an AAEI 2026 panel on drawback compliance featuring PNGM Assistant Center Director Thomas Kendrick, emphasizing trade partnerships.
- Practitioner mentions on X remain limited; an August 2, 2026 post highlighted the PNGM CEE’s specialized role in drawback for the energy and mining sectors. No major additional regulatory or policy updates specific to this routing change appeared in the subsequent months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do new ACE drawback claims route?
Drawback claims transmitted in ACE on or after April 22, 2026, route directly to the PNGM Center. They are assigned to Team FDK and internally distributed according to the first character of the importer of record associated with the claim.
Has the method for filing a drawback claim changed?
The fundamental electronic transmission method has not generally changed. Brokers and claimants should continue filing through ACE in accordance with CATAIR. The transition primarily affects CBP’s internal assignment structure and the email address used for specialist communication.
Which IOR should a broker use to select an email address?
The broker should use the importer of record associated with the specific drawback claim and identify the first character of that IOR. The claimant’s business name, headquarters location, filing port, and broker office should not be used as substitutes.
What happens to claims submitted before April 21, 2026?
Claims submitted before April 21, 2026, remain at the original office. The same treatment applies to privilege and ruling applications submitted before that date. Brokers should continue communicating with the office already handling the matter unless instructed to do otherwise.
Where should ACE technical or drawback policy questions go?
Policy and ACE technical questions should be sent to OTDRAWBACK@cbp.dhs.gov. Questions involving PNGM Center administration may be directed to Thomas.J.Kendrick@cbp.dhs.gov. Claim-specific communication will typically go to the mailbox selected through the IOR routing table.
Do remaining paper drawback claims move to Team FDK?
No. Remaining paper claims from the pre-ACE process stay with their original office. Brokers should preserve the existing case history and avoid redirecting a paper matter based only on the routing rules for newly transmitted ACE claims.
How Stable Software Can Help
Strengthen drawback routing and case control
Centralized processing works best when brokerage systems can distinguish current ACE claims from grandfathered applications and paper matters. Stable Software helps customs brokers and importers organize trade data, automate operational workflows, standardize client instructions, and reduce the manual effort required to identify the correct path for each case.
Configurable controls can support IOR validation, filing-date checks, routing logic, task assignment, and escalation tracking. These capabilities give compliance teams a clearer record of why a matter was directed to a particular specialist while reducing reliance on spreadsheets and individual memory. Learn how Stable Software can help modernize drawback operations and build more consistent customs compliance workflows.
