CBP Posts Feb 2012 Status Update on ACE Progress to Date

February 28, 2012 by Marie Rapport|Customs and Ports

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a February 2012 update on its progress with various ACE capabilities and other projects, such as the Document Image System, PGA Message Set, e-Manifest: rail and Sea (M1), ACE Truck, Automated Export Processing etc. With this update, CBP states that a DIS pilot test will be announced in March and M1 will be operational at all direct ports by the end of March. The update has added information on Simplified Entry and Simplified Summary, but removed the dates for the ACE Cargo Release contract award and the Simplified Entry test (the test is now expected to begin in April 2012).

PGA Access to ACE

There are 48 agencies involved with ITDS to varying degrees. As of December 2011, 29 PGAs are accessing data through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Portal. Examples of these agencies include the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which is newly listed in this update (others that are listed are the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Census, Import Administration (IA) and the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS)).

ACE Entry Summaries

Sixty-three (63) approved entities are authorized to file ACE entry summaries using the Automated Broker Interface (ABI), up from 56 last month. In addition, more than 947,461 ACE entry summaries have been filed since functionality was introduced in April 2009.

Document Image Pilot Test

A Federal Register notice is planned to be published in March 2012 to announce the DIS pilot test and invite trade members to participate.

M1 (e-Manifest: Ocean and Rail)

CBP has begun accepting sea and rail manifest transmissions from trade users in ACE, and is targeted to be operational at all direct arrival ports by the end of March 2012.

Simplified Processes

CBP’s Simplified Processes initiatives have developed based on recognition that import entry and financial requirements were misaligned with industry, resulting in a lack of uniformity, increased cost and inefficient trade facilitation and enforcement. The Simplified Process joint industry-CBP Workgroup was established April 2011 with the goal of formulating viable solutions that are mutually beneficial and diminish the administrative burden related to importing into the U.S.

Simplified Entry will streamline the data required to obtain release of products for cargo, eliminating the current entry (CBP Form 3461).

CBP announced via a Federal Register notice on November 9, 2011 a plan to conduct a test of the Simplified Entry capability.
The initial phase of the test will include the filing of entry data for formal and informal consumption entries, and will be open to entries filed in the air transportation mode only.
CBP has selected nine brokers to participate in its pilot test of Simplified Entry for air cargo.
This functionality will simplify the entry process by allowing participants to submit 12 required and three (3) optional data elements to CBP at any time prior to the arrival of the merchandise on the conveyance transporting the cargo to the United States. This data will fulfill merchandise entry requirements and will allow for earlier release decisions and more certainty for the importer in determining the logistics of cargo delivery.

Simplified Summary, which is a long term vision, will be a periodic summary filing and payment settlement over a set period, versus the current process of accounting by transaction. The next step is to discuss the legal and policy framework necessary to act on the vision of Simplified Summary.