CBP Continues Its Voluntary Test for the Submission of Electronic FTZ Applications (e214s) for Additional 6 Months
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a general notice, and CBP sources have stated, that CBP is announcing its plan to continue its voluntary test of the Electronic Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) Admission Application Program for an additional 6 months from March 26, 2007.
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(In August 2005, CBP announced its plan to conduct a voluntary program to test the viability of submitting electronic FTZ admission applications (CBP Form 214, e214) to CBP via the Automated Broker Interface (ABI). The test program was intended to run for a period of approximately 6 months from the program's September 30, 2005 commencement date with a final evaluation to take place at the end of that period. However, according to CBP sources, CBP's test never stopped and CBP is now extending the time limit of the test for an additional 6 months.)
Testing Provided Insufficient Data, Additional Time Intended to Encourage Greater Participation
The notice and sources within CBP state that after its initial evaluation of the voluntary test program period, CBP determined that due to the insufficient data collected, the test should continue to run for a period of another approximately 6 months from March 26, 2007. CBP notes that it may extend the test for additional periods of time by way of announcement in the Federal Register.
The additional time period for the testing is intended to encourage greater participation in the prototype by the trade and thereby provide CBP with more meaningful data by which to assess the feasibility of implementing the test program on a permanent basis.
Original Terms and Conditions Continue to be in Effect for the Additional Testing
CBP states that all of the Electronic FTZ Admissions Application test program terms and conditions that were provided for in the August 2005 announcement initiating the test will continue to be in effect for the additional testing period. (See ITT's Online Archives or 08/22/05 news, 05082205, for BP summary of the August 2005 general notice announcing the initiation of the test.)
(See ITT's Online Archives or 10/03/06 news, 06100350 3, for BP summary of enrollment information for the FTZ e214 voluntary test.
See ITT's Online Archives or 10/17/05 and 10/26/05 news, 05101710 and 05102615, for BP summaries of updates to the test.)
CBP contact- Sonja Grant sonja.grant@dhs.gov
CBP notice (FR Pub 03/26/07) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-5431.pdf