NMFS Announces Launch of ACE Filing Pilot

The National Marine Fisheries Service announced it will soon begin a pilot to test filing in the Automated Commercial Environment (here). The pilot will test filing of both partner government agency (PGA) message set data elements and scanned images in the Document Imaging System (DIS) for three NMFS programs: the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Program, which includes tuna and swordfish; the Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR) program, which covers toothfish (Dissostichus species); and the NOAA Tuna Tracking and Verification Program (NOAA Form 370), which covers a variety of canned, frozen, pouched and other processed tuna but not fresh tuna. The joint NMFS-CBP pilot will begin “after July 1,” said the announcement.

Eligible for the pilot are self-filing importers and brokers that have the ability to file ACE entry summaries certified for cargo release and ACE cargo release, file entries for NMFS commodities that fall under the pilot, and use a software program that has completed ACE certification testing for the PGA message set, said the NMFS. The NMFS has yet to select eligible ports. Only Type 01 (consumption) and 11 (informal) entries will be allowed, in all transportation modes, although “CBP plans on expanding to include Type “02” (quota) entries in the near future,” said the NMFS. CBP recently postponed the deployment of quota-related entry types in ACE until Oct. 31 (see 1506030054).

Requests to participate should be sent to CBP’s Steven Zaccaro at steven.j.zaccaro@cbp.dhs.gov with the subject heading ‘‘PGA Message Set Test FRN-Request to Participate.” Requests should include the importer or broker’s filer code and the port at which they are interested in filing. CBP and NMFS will continue to accept requests to participate while the pilot is ongoing, said NMFS.

(Federal Register 06/05/15)