New Census Warning Override Capabilities to be Delivered with ESAR A2.2 for Those Filing Entry Summaries in ACE
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a notice stating that entry summary filers using the Automated Commercial Environment will have certain Census Bureau warning1 capabilities with the deployment of ESAR A2.2 (Initial Entry Summary Types).
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Note that this functionality will only be available if the entry summary was filed in ACE. ESAR A2.2 is scheduled to be deployed on April 13, 2009 and will allow for the filing and processing of formal (type 01) and informal (type 11) entry summaries for those who volunteered to submit such entry summaries in ACE. The first two stages of the three-stage deployment schedule for ESAR A2.2 are limited to 39 volunteers.
ACE Entry Summary Filers Will be Able to Submit Census Warning Overrides
Those that file entry summaries via ACE will be able to communicate directly with the Census Bureau to override Census warnings generated by ACE. The electronic interface of ACE will enable a filer to submit an override code preemptively for known Census variances or to certify information after filing an entry summary.
This will result in faster processing of entry summary data by CBP and will allow the Census Bureau to capture valid import data more quickly.
(Under the current Automated Commercial System (ACS), a CBP import or entry specialist consults with a filer and obtains additional documentation. When appropriate, a CBP specialist will either override or reject an entry summary with a Census warning through ACS. If rejected, the filer is required to refile or dispute the Census warning via a paper exchange, which delays the entry summary process. With the deployment of ESAR A2.2, a filer will only need to provide one of the predefined explanatory codes to override an ACE-generated Census warning.)
Census Bureau Will Have Direct Oversight of Submitted Overrides
With ACE, the Census Bureau will have direct oversight of the submitted overrides, and CBP may act as an intermediary only when the filer does not correct information or fails to submit an override code in response to a warning.
CBP states that this will significantly reduce the volume of manual processing by CBP and will streamline the resolution process for both the filer and the Census Bureau. Also, the Census Bureau can publish balance of trade data based upon the most up-to-date information.
ITDS Notes Additional Benefits Census Bureau Expects
The International Trade Data System (ITDS) posted a notice on the upcoming benefits of the Census override functionality in ACE. ITDS outlines the following additional benefits that the Census Bureau expects to see:
- More powerful edits to capture keying mistakes and misclassification of commodities;
- More meaningful messages to the trade to resolve Census warnings;
- Quicker resolution of error messages, by allowing the trade to resolve them electronically which will reduce paper exchange between CBP and the trade and give the Census Bureau better information about why the entry summary data are unusual;
- A shift of control over the reformatting of entry summary data from CBP systems to Census systems, enabling Census to respond quickly to legislative and trade reporting changes; and
- A view through the ACE Secure Data Portal to examine entry summary and manifest data, to find importer contact information for problem resolution, to maintain business data reference files and to research data reporting issues.
1Census warnings occur when cargo information falls outside Census Bureau parameters. This often occurs due to keying mistakes or misclassification of commodities on the entry summary, such as an improbable country of origin, unlikely mode of transportation or if the value of an imported article is outside of its historical price range. Frequently, a filer will need to modify the information, yet when information is correct despite the warning, an override is warranted.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 03/30/09 news, 09033045 1, for previous BP summary of CBP's notice on ESAR A2.2 Census warning functionality.
See ITT's Online Archives or 03/26/09 news, 09032615, for BP summary of CBP officials' comments on ESAR A2.2, etc.)
See ITT's Online Archives or 03/11/09 news, 09031110, for BP summary of ESAR A2.2 capabilities, etc.
See ITT's Online Archives or 02/17/09 news, 09021705, for BP summary announcing that ESAR A2.2 would begin in spring 2009.)
CBP notice (dated 03/26/09) available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/automated/modernization/whats_new/filers_census.xml
ITDS notice (posted 03/30/09) available at http://www.itds.gov/linkhandler/itds/news/census_bureau_ace.ctt/census_bureau_ace.pdf