U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted the agenda, presentations, and materials used during the September 8 - 11, 2008 meeting of the Trade Support Network (TSN) held in Tyson's Corner, VA.
Automated Commercial Environment (ACE)
The Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) is the CBP's electronic system through which the international trade community reports imports and exports to and from the U.S. and the government determines admissibility.
CBP has posted to its Unified Business Resumption Messaging Web site messages providing a port status update in the wake of Hurricane Ike. The most recent message was issued at 5:30 p.m. EST on September 15, 2008. In addition, CBP issued an alert on Hurricane Ike port closures (as of 9:00 a.m. EST on September 16, 2008). According to the alert, the following ports are closed: Presidio, Houston Field Office, Area Port of Houston/Galveston Seaport, Service Port of Houston, Port Arthur, Beaumont, Point Comfort, and Freeport.
The following are documents which CBP updates frequently (weekly, monthly, etc.):
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted to its Unified Business Resumption Messaging Web site messages providing port status updates in the wake of Hurricane Ike. The Port of Key West is closed. CBP also posted an alert on the current port conditions due to Ike. (UBRM messages available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/trade_outreach/bus_resumption/maritime/; Ike alert available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/alerts/port_conditions/port_conditions_ike.xml)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a general notice, effective September 8, 2008, announcing its decision to formally terminate the test of the semi-monthly filing and statement processing prototype program that was initiated in April 1998, as part of the National Customs Automation Program (NCAP).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a CSMS message announcing its deployment of Phase 2 of "ad hoc" capabilities as an enhancement to the Automated Commercial Environment reports.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted an updated version of its comprehensive document on the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) entitled "ACE Frequently Asked Questions."
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a general notice announcing its plans to conduct a National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) voluntary test concerning new Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Entry Summary, Accounts, and Revenue (ESAR) capabilities, including functionality specific to entry summary filing and processing of formal consumption entries and informal entries.
CBP has issued a CSMS message announcing that as of 8:27 p.m. EDT on August 22, 2008, the problem with ACE users being unable to access ACE and users not being able to submit e-Manifests via ACE was corrected. CBP notes that during that time e-Manifests could be submitted via EDI. (CSMS message on service being restored, 08-000172, dated 08/22/08, available at http://apps.cbp.gov/csms/viewmssg.asp?Recid=17191&page=&srch_argv=08-000172&srchtype=all&btype=&sortby=&sby; CSMS message announcing the problem and ACE service delays, 08-000168 and 08-000165, dated 08/22/08, available at http://apps.cbp.gov/csms/viewmssg.asp?Recid=17187&page=&srch_argv=08-000168&srchtype=all&btype=&sortby=&sby and http://apps.cbp.gov/csms/viewmssg.asp?Recid=17184&page=&srch_argv=08-000165&srchtype=all&btype=&sortby=&sby)
During the August 7, 2008 meeting of the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Related Homeland Security Functions (COAC), CBP officials discussed the potential impact on the trade of the new Lacey Act plant and plant product import declaration requirements1 that were recently enacted as part of the 2008 Farm Bill.