CBP's Final Warning on September 30 Sunset Date for 800 Dial-Up Service

Those Who Do Not Convert Could Lose Connection to ABI, AMS, AES

CBP previously announced that 800 dial-up service² for connecting to CBP's automated systems is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2007 and users who have not converted away from using the 800 dial-up communications by that date are at risk of losing their ability to connect to such systems.

According to CBP, this includes connections to the following CBP automated systems:

Automated Broker Interface (ABI)

Automated Manifest System (AMS) - Sea and Air

Automated Export System (AES)

(In April 2007, CBP issued an ABI administrative message and posted a notice to its Web site announcing that it would be finalizing the replacement of the existing 800 dial-up and Sprint Frame Relay/MQ Series services that currently support older trade system interfaces to the Automated Commercial System (ACS) and AES. CBP established September 30, 2007 as the final sunset date for the 800 dial-up service. The sunset date for the Sprint Frame Relay/MQ Series users was set for August 31, 2008.)

Those Actively Working to Complete the Process Will Not Lose Service

CBP states that some Virtual Private Network (VPN) conversions may not be completed by September 30, 2007; however, those users will not lose their dial-up connection as long as they are actively working to complete the process.

Those Applying Late Will be Processed Last, May Not Have Service During Processing Time

CBP adds that on September 30, 2007, the dial-up users who have not switched to a service center or who have not enrolled to start the conversion process will lose their dial-up connection.

CBP notes that after September 30, a user may still switch to a service center or enroll in the conversion process. Those conversions will be processed last and CBP will not guarantee that dial-up services will be available for the extended time required to process those late conversions.

CBP's "Trade VPN Solution" Must be Used Instead

As previously stated by CBP, the trade will need to implement one of the following five methods, which are referred to as the "Trade VPN Solution," for communicating to CBP, prior to the above-listed sunset dates:

Public Internet Cisco VPN/MQ Series via a client provisioned Internet Service Provider (ISP)

Sprint or Verizon Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLs) VPN, a private CISCO VPN/MQ Series solution

Service Center

Value Added Networks (VANs)

VPN via a toll free dial where an ISP is not accessible

In order to enroll for CBP VPN connectivity, the trade should contact their assigned client representative. Additional support documentation is provided to afford the trade and their software vendors an opportunity to select the CBP VPN solution that best meets a company's needs. (This additional support documentation is available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/operations_support/automated_systems/data_comm_changes/)

(See ITT's Online Archives or 05/02/07 news, 07050205, for BP summary of the ABI message announcing this sunset date, etc. See ITT's Online Archives or 08/06/07 news, 07080605, for BP summary of CBP's reminder ABI message on the September 30, 2007 sunset date.)

¹According to CBP, the term "dial-up" is a generic term used to reference the SNA RJE and LU6.2 users who connect to CBP using SNA toll-free dial services.

²The 800 dial-up service has also been referred to as RJE dial-up support or RJE/LU6.2 connections by CBP.

CBP ABI message (Adm: 07-0211, dated 09/24/07) available at http://www.brokerpower.com/cgi-bin/adminsearch/admmsg.view.pl?article=2007/2007-0211.ADM