COAC Seeks Trade Input on Economic Impact of ACE (to Help with Future Deliverables)

The Automation Subcommittee of the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Related Homeland Security Functions (COAC) is asking the international trade community to provide feedback on cost savings and cost avoidance related to the implementation of Automated Commercial Environment (ACE).

The Subcommittee released separate surveys for (i) importers, (ii) brokers/forwarders, and (iii) FTZ/bonded cargo facility operators on March 11, 2010. The deadline for survey responses is March 31, 2010.

(During the February 25, 2010 COAC meeting, the Subcommittee announced that is was completing work on the survey and that it would soon be distributed.)

Survey to Assess Economic Impact on Trade of Specific ACE Functionality

According to the Subcommittee, the information gathered in the surveys, which is anonymous, is intended to be used to assess the economic impact to the trade community of specific ACE functionality and to provide information useful in prioritizing future ACE releases. The key objectives of the surveys include:

Cost savings - discovering and evaluating the cost savings to companies that submit data to CBP;

Impact of ACE technology - identifying how ACE technology will impact and deliver value to the trade community; and

Financial impacts of future ACE deliverables - understanding and identifying the potential financial impacts of future ACE deliverables to the small, medium and large firms dealing with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other government agencies requirements.

Summary of Results to be Presented at Next COAC Meeting

The data collected through this survey will be compiled and analyzed by COAC and an executive summary of the results is expected to be presented at the next COAC meeting and made available to the public.

(See ITT's Online Archives or 08/27/09 news, 09082705, for BP summary of COAC's discussion of the survey at the August 2009 COAC meeting.)

Importer survey is available here

Broker/Forwarder survey is available here

FTZ/Bonded cargo facility operator survey is available here