CBP Update on ACE PGAs, M1, Automated Export Processing Plans
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a September 2011 update on its progress with the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). With this update, CBP is pushing back certain dates for the Participating Government Agency (PGA) web services and Document Image System capabilities, announcing additional dates for e-manifest: Rail and Sea (M1), and elaborating on its plans for automated export processing.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 08/19/11 news, 11081914, for BP summary of CBP's August update on the status of ACE.)
Updates on Deployed ACE Capabilities
The following are CBP's updates on deployed ACE capabilities since August 2011:
- The ACE Secure Data Portal now has more than 19,200 trade user accounts (up from 19,000).
- More than 500,000 ACE entries summaries have been filed since ACE entry summary functionality was introduced in April 2009 (up from 475,000).
- The e-Manifest Rail and Sea (M1) code baseline was successfully deployed to ACE Production.
Updates on the Status of Various ACE Projects
The following are CBP's updates on the status of various ACE projects since August 2011:
PGA interfaces/interoperability. The first web service capability for PGAs is now scheduled to become available in September 2011 (instead of August 2011).
Document Image System (DIS). CBP plans to use "Web services" technology to push imaged forms and corresponding "meta data" to PGAs. The standards for the web services will now be delivered to the PGAs by September 2011 (instead of August 2011). Discussions with PGAs will be undertaken to determine which agencies will be ready for testing this functionality.
M1. The M1 pilot phases began late August 2011. Anticipated system deployment for CBP and the trade will be announced in the fall of 2011.
Automated export processing. CBP is planning to establish ACE as the single processing platform for all export manifest, commodity, licensing, and export control transactions. Current plans call for the development of an automated export manifest system for all modes. This will involve coordination with the Census Bureau and other PGAs involved in export licensing and commodity transactions.
CBP will establish and interface between the Census Bureau’s Automated Export System (AES) and the ACE platform to allow CBP and the PGAs access to export control and licensing information required for processing and releasing export shipments with the initial focus on the primary export control and licensing agencies.
The automated export processing system will also focus on the ITDS initiatives to: 1) develop a standard data set document for export transactions; 2) develop the capability to accept document images to support manifest, commodity, or licensed export filings; and 3) develop functionality for an Interoperability Web Based System among CBP and PGAs.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 08/31/11 news, 11083113, for BP summary of CBP's update on ACE and ITDS projects at the August 18, 2011 COAC meeting.)