Carriers (including NVOCCs) Can Establish ACE Portal Accounts When ESAR A1 Deploys (A1 to be Deployed August 25, 2007)

The fact sheet states that with the August 25, 2007 implementation of ESAR A1, there will be an expansion in the number of Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Secure Data Portal account types to include all carriers as defined in 19 CFR 112.1. Currently only truck carriers can establish an ACE portal account.

The new carrier account types will include aircraft, vessels (including Non Vessel Operating Common Carriers (NVOCCs)), railroads, as well as commercial trucks that are required to operate under an international carrier's bond, as provided for in 19 CFR 113.64.

CBP Outlines the Benefits to Carriers of Becoming an ACE Portal Account

CBP states that by establishing an ACE portal account, a carrier will be able to:

view any information that CBP maintains in the account, including bond information.

(Account data viewable via the Portal includes company name, physical address, mailing address, company contact information, e-Manifest information (if applicable), and Standard Character Alpha Code (SCAC), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) or International Air Transport Administration (IATA) designator.

Carriers will also be able to communicate with CBP through the Portal and post additional data about their account, thus minimizing administrative overhead with regard to resolving regulatory, compliance, and operational issues.)

have access to a Business Activity Log (BAL), allowing them to communicate with or respond to CBP on compliance and operational issues. A carrier may also use the BAL to attach scanned or electronic information to the account, as deemed appropriate by CBP or the trade account owner (e.g. Load line certificates, FAA inspections, etc.).

view its bond information to determine if any updates are necessary.

for each vessel portal account, the Trade Account Owner (TAO) will be able to view Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) license, permit, and certificate information that is ported on the portal account.

truck carriers will continue to have the capability to run reports through the Portal. CBP states that users will find that running reports and extracting their Customs data from ACE is easier because the reports are now more customizable - due to recent enhancements of the reporting tool. (See ITT's Online Archives or 06/04/07 news, 07060405, for most recent BP summary on the availability of the new ACE reports tool.)

trucking companies will have the ability to link an existing truck driver's account information to their truck carrier account, which will eliminate the need for each carrier that employs a portal account driver to create a duplicate entry of the driver's account information in each carrier account.

access important information regarding any ACE updates via their "News" view.

track who made changes in account information.

access port code and country code reference data.

establish quick links with frequently used Web sites without exiting their account view.

ESAR A1 Scheduled for Deployment on August 25, 2007

CBP has previously stated that ESAR A1 is scheduled to be deployed on August 25, 2007 and that trade testing of the ABI application identifiers KI (bond query) and TI (CBP Form 5106 add/update) that are to be routed to the ACE System for processing when A1 is deployed has been available since July 25, 2007. (See ITT's Online Archives or 08/09/07 news, 07080920, for most recent BP summary.)

CBP Provides Details on How to Become an ACE Portal Account

According to CBP, the revised ACE application and instructions will be posted on CBP's Web site in the near future. Carriers desiring to become an ACE portal account will be required to complete the ACE application.

As part of this process, each carrier will also need to provide their SCAC, IATA, or ICAO number, as appropriate, and designate the appropriate mode of transportation. Any additional eligibility requirements will be set forth in the Federal Register notice that will be published by CBP announcing the A1 functionality.

Once the request to become an account is received and approved by CBP, the account will be created in ACE. The carrier will subsequently be contacted with information on how to access and update the account information.

Web-Based Training on ESAR A1 Functionality Available on CBP's Web Site

As of July 31, 2007, interested trade members are able to take an introductory Web-Based Training (WBT) course on ESAR A1 functionality. CBP states that the course, "Enhanced ACE Accounts and Master Data," is highly recommended for anyone interested in understanding the new functionality.

(See ITT's Online Archives or 08/06/07 news, 07080610, for BP summary announcing the availability of WBT for ESAR A1, including link to training page.

See ITT's Online Archives or 08/15/07 news, 07081505, for BP summary announcing the availability of CBP fact sheets on new or enhanced ACE account types under ESAR A1.

See ITT's Online Archives or 08/09/07 news, 07080920, for BP summary of CBP's discussion of the August 25th deployment of ESAR A1 at the ACE Exchange VI conference.)

CBP fact sheet on carrier accounts under ESAR A1 (posted 08/10/07) available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/toolbox/about/modernization/ace_welcome/ace_account_types/easr_carriers.ctt/easr_carriers.doc.