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CBP Issues General Notice on ACE/NCAP Test of Automated Truck Manifest at Douglas , AZ and Pembina, ND Clusters

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a general notice announcing that the next two groups, or clusters, of ports to be deployed for the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE)/National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) test concerning the transmission of automated truck manifest data are the Douglas, AZ and Pembina, ND clusters.

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(CBP also refers to this NCAP test as ACE Release 4 (Truck Manifest).)

Five Ports in Douglas, AZ Cluster Are Deployed as of July 25, 2005

CBP states that the NCAP test was deployed as of July 25, 2005 at the following ports in Arizona: Douglas, Naco, Lukeville, Sasabe, and Nogales. According to CBP, Douglas is the model port for this cluster.

Eight Ports in Pembina, ND Cluster Will Be Deployed on August 15, 2005

The cluster of ports in North Dakota at which the NCAP test will be deployed on August 15, 2005 will consist of: Pembina, Neche, Noyes, Walhalla, Maida, Hannah, Sarles, and Hansboro. CBP states that Pembina will be the model port for this cluster.

All Other Previously Announced Requirements/Aspects of Test Continue to Apply

CBP states that all requirements and aspects of this NCAP test, as set forth in its September 2004 notice announcing the test and as modified by its March 2005 notice clarifying that all relevant data elements are required to be submitted in the automated truck manifest submission, continue to apply.

(See ITT's Online Archives or 09/14/04 and 09/15/04 news, 04091410 and 04091515, for BP summaries of the September 2004 notice announcing the NCAP test. See ITT's Online Archives or 03/22/05 news, 05032205, for BP summary of the March 2005 notice modifying the test.)

(CBP has previously stated that this NCAP test allows participating truck carrier accounts to transmit electronic manifest data in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) (including advance cargo information as required by Section 343 of the Trade Act of 2002, as amended by the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA)). CBP has also previously stated that truck carrier accounts that participate in this test have the ability to electronically transmit truck manifest data and obtain release of their cargo, crew, conveyances, and equipment via the ACE Secure Data Portal or electronic data interchange (EDI) messaging.)

(See ITT's Online Archives or 06/01/05 news, 05060110, for BP summary of CBP's notice on modifications to the NCAP test deployment schedule, which stated that the next deployment sites would be in clusters with a "model port" and announced that Sumas, WA would be the model port for the first cluster which included Blaine, WA.

See ITT's Online Archives or 06/07/05 news, 05060705, for BP summary of the May 2005 CBP Modernization newsletter which discussed, among other things, CBP's plans to deploy ACE Release 4 (Truck Manifest) in the Douglas cluster in July 2005.)

CBP contact - Thomas Fitzpatrick Thomas.Fitzpatrick@dhs.gov

CBP general notice (FR Pub 07/29/05) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-15046.pdf