APHIS Set to Require Mandatory 'Core' ACE Filing in August

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is set to require filing of its “core” partner government agency (PGA) data in ACE beginning Aug. 3, 2020, the agency said in a notice. “On that date, APHIS intends to begin applying Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) flags, which will alert filers who opt to submit data electronically whether APHIS import data is or may be required. Importers or brokers using ACE must enter APHIS-required import data when they receive an APHIS-specific HTS flag in order to complete their entry in the system,” APHIS said.

The deployment “means, importers and brokers using ACE to submit electronic customs entries that include APHIS-regulated plants, plant products, animal products, or live dog imports will have to use the APHIS Core Message Set to provide APHIS-required import data for those items,” APHIS said in an emailed update. “This phase does not include other live animal imports,” the agency said.

APHIS is accepting comments “on the timeline for full implementation of the APHIS Core Message Set in ACE/ITDS” by March 4. “After the close of the comment period we will publish another notice in the Federal Register confirming the date when APHIS will begin applying HTS flags,” the agency said. An APHIS official last year said the agency planned to allow a transition period of six to nine months once the APHIS Core PGA message set becomes mandatory, though the notice does not mention any transition period (see 1904160064). Those same officials also said APHIS would conduct outreach, including setting up a help desk.