CBP Lists Benefits of ACE Accounts for Sureties & Invites Sign Up
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a fact sheet inviting sureties to create and maintain a free Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Secure Data Portal account and utilize the numerous ACE reports that are available. CBP states that a surety with a portal account can view and update their account data, including company information (e.g., physical address, mailing address, service of process address and points of contact). The Trade Account Owner (TAO) for the surety account type will also be able to create and maintain a current listing of their corporate surety powers of attorney (CSPOA).
Additional beneficial features for a surety portal account include the ability to:
- Access important information regarding any ACE updates via their “News” view. * Grant cross account access to other ACE portal accounts (e.g., brokers, surety agents) while maintaining control over access privileges
- Request a merger of accounts via the Portal (note: both parties must be ACE portal accounts)
- Effectively manage who is able to write bonds using their bond authority
- Access reference data
- View information that is maintained in the account, including bond and bond rider information
- Access to a Business Activity Log (BAL) to attach additional scanned or electronic information to the account, as deemed appropriate by CBP or the TAO
- Ability to query a bond by “Bond Number,” “Bond Activity Code” or “Bond Status”
- Run a Custom Bond report as well as create customized reports
- Run a report reflecting a list of the CSPOAs that they have on file
- Access the link to the Importer Security Filing Portal to view surety ISF reports
- In the future share customized reports with all users within your account who have access to reports
Surety Fact Sheet (posted 12/14/11) available here.
Similar fact sheet for customs brokers and importers are also available (broker, importer).