CBP Could Award ACE Cargo Release Contract in Dec 2011
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued the March 2011 ACE Trade Account Owner Update, which provides information on ACE Cargo Release, including CBP’s timeframe for awarding the contract for its development.
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(CBP has stated that ACE Cargo Release will focus on the admissibility of imported articles and their release into the commerce of the U.S. in coordination with participating government agencies (PGAs) and the trade. Cargo Release will provide for the collection of additional data elements to support PGAs, as well as CBP. It includes the International Trade Data System (ITDS)/PGA admissibility functionality; filing of release data and corresponding responses; etc.)
CBP is Revalidating Cargo Release Requirements with Agency, Trade, PGAs
CBP states that work is currently underway to revalidate all Cargo Release related user requirements with CBP, the trade community and the PGAs. CBP is conducting internal validation sessions with the Office of International Trade (OT), including Regulations and Rulings, and the Office of Field Operations (OFO) to review the internal CBP Cargo Release requirements as well as to provide legal and policy review on the trade and PGA requirements that are being submitted.
CBP Should Award Contract in Late 2011/Early 2012, First Increment 6 Mos Later
Once the requirements are revalidated, the design and acquisition phase will begin with an anticipated contract award at the end of 2011 or early 2012. Note that ACE has been put on an accelerated schedule and is required to deliver an increment of ACE functionality within 6 months of the contract being awarded. CBP sources recently stated that the agency hopes to deliver the first increment of Cargo Release functionality within six months of its contract award.
(See ITT’s Online Archives or 03/31/11 news, 11033120, for BP summary of the TAO update on the ACE Document Imaging System. See future issues of ITT for BP summaries of the TAO update on Importer Security Filing reports for C-TPAT members, Post Summary Correction functionality, etc.
See ITT’s Online Archives or 03/08/11 news, 11030832, for BP summary of CBP officials stating that the agency is developing ACE on an accelerated schedule, including Cargo Release.)