CBP Posts Automation Requirements For its Voluntary Test of the Electronic FTZ Admission Application Program

These automation requirements take the form of a chapter (dated August 2005) to the Customs and Trade Automated Interface Requirements (CATAIR).

(On August 19, 2005, CBP published a general notice regarding its plan to conduct a voluntary test of the Electronic FTZ Admission Application Program. The test is currently limited to FTZ admission applications for merchandise reported to CBP via air, sea and rail manifest and will begin no earlier than September 30, 2005. According to CBP, the Electronic FTZ Admission Application Program will permit a participant to submit an electronic version of the CBP Form 214 (FTZ Admission and/or Status Designation) to CBP via the Automated Broker Interface (ABI) of the Automated Commercial System (ACS). See ITT's Online Archives or 08/22/05 news, 05082205, for BP summary of CBP's general notice.)

The following are highlights of CBP's overview of the automation requirements for this voluntary test:

FTZ submission to be transmitted via ABI. The FTZ submission will be transmitted via ABI. The data transmission will contain a single submission for a conveyance or it can be a consolidated submission, which encompasses multiple conveyances. For each conveyance there can be multiple bills of lading on the document. Whenever there is a change to the 214 a complete retransmission of the entire submission will be required.

Line numbers will be implemented at description level. CBP states that line numbers will be implemented at the description level and will relate to a particular Harmonized number and will be reset at each new bill of lading. When a particular Line Item is deleted from a 214 submission document the number will not be reused. Because of this requirement there may be gaps in the line number sequencing for a particular bill of lading. Whenever new Tariffs are added they will be represented at the next highest line number previously used on the doc.

Merchandise may arrive at zone via inbond movement. The merchandise may arrive at the zone via an inbond movement and this information will be received in the FT30 record.

Upon arrival at the zone the inbond can be arrived based upon the Zone Operators acknowledgement that the cargo has arrived. The Carrier's Bill of Lading will be closed upon the Zone Operators acceptance of all the merchandise into the Zone. In addition to inbond movements there is new functionality to allow zone operators to electronically initiate Permit To Transfer movements to get the cargo to the FTZ.

Operator provided with transaction set to report discrepant shipments. CBP states that this project provides the operator with a transaction set to report discrepant shipments to the Carrier and to CBP. Until the operator gives its concurrence the shipment liability is still with the importing carrier.

CBP's acceptance of 214 information. CBP states that edits need to be in place to ensure the records are received in the correct order. Upon the acceptance of the data, CBP will return a message stating that the data has been accepted.

CBP will generate message upon completion of screening. Upon completion of screening by CBP the result will generate one of two messages: (1) 'Paperless 214 Accepted' or (2) 'Doc's Required.'

CBP's automation requirements also include details on:

Regular admission (not DD)

Direct delivery

Bulk processing

Movement authorization

Various FT record processing (e.g., FT10, FT20, FT30 record processing)

Census requirements, which include an overview and descriptions of various FZ record processing (e.g., FZ10, FZ11, and FZ20 record processing)

Record layouts for numerous record identifiers

FTZ automation test requirements (posted 08/26/05) available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/import/cargo_control/ftz_trade_req.ctt/ftz_trade_req.doc.