CBP to Begin Simplified Entry Evaluation This Month

CBP posted two updated sets of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), one for policy questions and another for technical questions, on the ongoing Simplified Entry pilot. CBP will being its evaluation of the pilot, which began in May, it said in the policy FAQ. Under Simplified Entry, an importer can file an entry far in advance of a shipment and receive a release indication on its cargo much earlier than under the current entry process.

New questions and answers include:

• What are the next steps for Simplified Entry now that the initial filings have taken place?
  • The initial evaluation of the Simplified Entry Pilot will begin in late August. CBP and the Pilot participants are currently testing additional scenarios as well as putting more volume in the system. Next steps include expansion to additional ports and participants. In addition, CBP is working on adding new functionality such as the Participating Government Agency (PGA) Message Set and the Document Image System (DIS).
• What is the plan for expanding to additional ports and when will that happen?
  • Based on the success of the Simplified Entry pilot, CBP will be deploying Simplified Entry to additional airports using a regional approach. Seattle was scheduled to receive their first Simplified Entry on Aug. 14. San Francisco and Oakland were scheduled to receive their first Simplified Entries later that week, with Los Angeles to follow the week of Aug. 20. During the week of Sept. 10, Simplified Entry will expand to airports in the south/southeast including Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston and Miami. Simplified Entry will expand to airports in the northeast including Newark, New York/JFK and Boston the week of Sept. 17.
• What is CBP's plan for expanding to other modes of transportation?
  • CBP plans to move to the ocean mode of transportation next. Planning for determining the timeline for this is currently underway and will take into consideration the M1 rollout, so as not to impact that effort.
• Will Simplified Entry data be included in ACE Cargo Entry reports?
  • In Phase One of the Simplified Entry Pilot Simplified Entries will not be included in the Aggregate and Detail Cargo Entry reports and the AD-003 Cargo Entry Extract Report. Today Cargo Entry reports exclude rail Line Release, Border Release Advance Screening and Selectivity (BRASS) and Free and Secure Trade (FAST) entries. Entry summary reports will not be impacted by Simplified Entry.
• Is this a paperless program, and if so, how will I get my cargo released from a warehouse, such as a consolidated freight station (CFS)?
  • Because this is a paperless program, there will be no submissions of CBP Form 3461. Simplified Entry will only be accepted electronically in the Automated Cargo Environment (ACE). In order to foster a truly paperless program, CBP will not be creating courtesy copies or stamping forms. However, CBP recognizes that a paperless environment will pose challenges to non-automated entities, such as consolidated freight stations and terminals that do not receive electronic releases from CBP. Consequently, in the interim, CBP will allow non-automated facilities to release cargo based upon screen printouts presented to them by filers (importers, brokers, etc.). This printout will have, at a minimum, the shipment ID and quantity being released, the type of release, as well as clear identification of who presented the release information (such as a cover letter). For audit purposes, this will satisfy due diligence on behalf of the non-automated facility. In the event that cargo that is either on hold or is not released by CBP is allowed to exit a nonautomated facility, CBP will seek remedy with the party that provided the “release” to that facility. Record retention guidelines will also apply. It is also important to note that this is an interim process, and that in order to effectively operate in an increasingly paperless environment, non-automated facilities are strongly encouraged to automate.
• Can an entry number be used again if the Simplified Entry has been deleted?
  • The entry number cannot be used again for Simplified Entry since it will be reflected as being in deleted status.
• Can the filer update the port of entry under Simplified Entry?
  • The Port of Entry is not a mandatory data element in the Simplified Entry data set. Port of Entry information is provided on the manifest and changes to that information will occur as they do today.
• Are Manufacturer IDs (MIDs) going away?
  • The MID will be calculated by the Simplified Entry system based on the information on the commercial parties identified in the SE submission. For Simplified Entry trade will no longer provide the MID, just the name and address of the commercial parties.
• Does the Simplified Entry Process result in less data available to CBP than the current entry process?
  • The intent is to reduce duplicate requests for information from the trade. Once CBP combines the data from the Simplified Entry and the manifest, CBP has the same information that it gets today.
• What is the definition of ‘buyer’?
  • The definitions for the data elements in the Simplified Entry are the same as those used in the Importer Security Filing. The ‘buyer’ is the last known entity to whom the goods are sold or agreed to be sold.

The technical FAQs are (here). The policy FAQs are (here).

(See ITT's Online Archives 12081319 for summary of plans to expand the pilot.)