CBP Plans 'on Hold' for New Chinese Postal Code Entry Data Element 'Until Further Notice'

CBP's plans for a new data element in ACE cargo release for the Chinese postal code are “on hold,” the agency said in a CSMS message Nov. 1. “The deployment for Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Region Alert is postponed until further notice,” CBP said. “The Office of Trade is actively working with impacted users to address concerns. A follow up CSMS message will be issued once a new deployment date is determined.”

CBP earlier on Nov. 1 had changed its deployment date for the controversial data element to “TBD" on the agency's ACE development and deployment schedule. CBP officials last week said they would announce the indefinite delay in response to concerns from the trade (see 2210270064).

The new requirement includes the data element for Chinese postal code in cargo release filings, as well as the addition of the Chinese postal code for new and updated manufacturer IDs, for any entries with a country of origin of China or a manufacturer ID in China. The data element will be used to generate a warning if the postal code is invalid or if it’s located in China’s Xinjiang province, as part of CBP’s Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act enforcement (see 2210260061).