NAFTZ Seeks Delay to ACE Implementation Date for FTZ Reporting

CBP should further revise its timeline for Automated Commercial Environment implementation, the National Association of Foreign Trade Zones said in a Nov. 16 letter to CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske (here). A recent update to the CBP and Trade Automated Interface Requirements (CATAIR) changed the data reporting requirements for FTZs in ACE and require further testing, said the trade group. CBP previously scheduled deployment of quota-related entry types, including FTZs, for Feb. 27, but has since revised that plan following industry concerns (see 1509300020).

Under the current schedule, CBP plans to require FTZ removal reporting under 06 entry/entry summary procedures beginning Feb. 28, said the NAFTZ. CBP released CATAIR information for such procedures on Sept. 15 and Sept. 29 that "included new data elements that have not previously been required to be reported or captured as part of the zone processing requirements," it said. "Software vendors and importers will need time to collect these additional data elements for compliant zone filing." CBP also made FTZ 06 entries available in the certification and production environment on Oct. 17. "It is in response to this unanticipated delay of the published CATAIR and the delay in providing a certification environment that the NAFTZ is requesting that CBP revise the mandatory February 28, 2016, implementation date," it said.

The NAFTZ advised CBP to push back the implementation date for FTZ 06 entries to July 2016, which is when FTZ Admission e-214 reporting is scheduled to be implemented. Such a change is "crucial in order to allow the FTZ community adequate time to successfully implement the changes, and provide a critical time frame to perform numerous transitions which are crucial to ensuring accurate, compliant and effective CBP reporting without a complete disruption of the foreign-trade zone supply chain," the association said.

The NAFTZ created an ACE Task Force to help consider these issues, it said. The task force includes experienced FTZ operators, users and services members that can help CBP with any efforts the agency decides is necessary to implement the 06 entry/entry summary in ACE, it said. CBP didn't immediately comment on the request from the NAFTZ. CBP's schedule for the transition to ACE already reflects a major revision following industry and government readiness concerns (see 1509020015).