Mandatory e-Manifest: Truck for Advance Cargo Information Purposes to be Implemented in Alaska Effective February 11, 2008
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a notice announcing that the seventh group of land border ports to become mandatory for the Automated Commercial Environment electronic manifest: Truck for advance cargo information purposes will be those in Alaska (Alcan, Dalton Cache, and Skagway) effective February 11, 2008.
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(Mandatory implementation for the first group of ports - all land border ports in Washington and Arizona, as well as the ports of Pembina, Neche, Walhalla, Maida, Hannah, Sarles and Hansboro, North Dakota - was required effective January 25, 2007. The second group of ports - all land border ports in California, New Mexico, and Texas - required mandatory implementation effective April 19, 2007. The third group of ports - all land border ports in Michigan and New York - required mandatory implementation effective May 24, 2007. The fourth group of ports - all land border ports in Vermont and New Hampshire as well as the remaining land border ports in North Dakota (St. John, Fortuna, Ambrose, Carbury, Noonan, Dunseith, Sherwood, Antler, Northgate, Westhope, and Portal) - required mandatory implementation effective July 12, 2007. The fifth group of ports - all land border ports in Idaho and Montana - required mandatory implementation effective August 6, 2007. The sixth group of ports - all land border ports in Maine and Minnesota - required mandatory implementation effective October 16, 2007.)
CBP sources state that the enforcement of mandatory e-Manifest: Truck at the Alaska ports is expected to follow the same pattern of phased enforcement as the previous groups of ports.
Once Mandatory, No Other System Will Satisfy Advance Cargo Info Requirement
CBP notes that although other systems that have been deemed acceptable by CBP for transmitting advance truck manifest data will continue to operate and may still be used in the normal course of business for purposes other than transmitting advance truck manifest data, use of systems other than ACE will no longer satisfy advance electronic cargo information requirements at a particular port of entry once the 90-day notice for that port has been published and the 90-day period has elapsed.
Alaska Ports Were Last to be Scheduled for Mandatory Implementation
Now that CBP has scheduled mandatory e-Manifest: Truck for Alaska, all intended land border ports now either require the mandatory use of ACE e-Manifest: Truck for the transmission of advance cargo information, or are scheduled to make it mandatory.
Options for Transmitting e-Manifest: Truck
CBP has previously stated that truck carriers have the following options to transmit e-Manifests for the truck environment:
Self file through the Web-based ACE Portal or via a CBP approved EDI, or
Use third parties, who usually require a fee
CBP added that to begin filing e-Manifests for the truck environment, truck carriers are encouraged to establish an ACE carrier account or obtain certification to file via EDI, or contact a customs broker, service provider, or other authorized filer to discuss how to submit e-Manifests.
(CBP has also previously stated that advance electronic cargo information for inbound truck cargo must be received at least one hour prior to the carrier's reaching the first port of arrival in the U.S., or no later than 30 minutes prior to the carrier's reaching the first U.S. port of arrival for shipments qualified for clearance under the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program (with exceptions for cargo in transit from point to point in the U.S. and certain informal entries). See ITT's Online Archives or 08/18/04 news, 04081805, for BP summary.)
(See ITT's Online Archives or 09/21/07 news, 07092110, for BP summary of CBP's announcement of the deployment of ACE/NCAP test of e-Manifest: Truck in Alaska.
See ITT's Online Archives or 02/08/07 news, 07020805, for BP summary of CBP's updated FAQ on e-Manifest, which includes information on mandatory e-Manifest and entry/release.
See ITT's Online Archives or 01/12/07, 02/23/07, 03/16/07, 05/04/07, 05/24/07, and 09/07/07 news, 07011205, 07022305, 07031605, 07050405, 07052405, and 07090710, for BP summaries on the phased enforcement for the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth groups of ports, respectively.)
CBP contact- James Swanson james.d.swanson@dhs.gov
CBP notice (CBP Dec. 07-84; FR Pub 11/13/07) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-22133.pdf.)