U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a notice announcing its plan to conduct a National Customs Automation Program (NCAP)1 test on ACE simplified entry capability. The test will reduce the information participants must file with CBP prior to arrival in the U.S. to 12 required, and three optional data elements. The initial phase of the test will only be for the air transportation mode and is available for nine accounts. Parties interested in participating in the test should contact CBP by November 17, 2011.
The Agricultural Marketing Service has issued a final rule, effective November 9, 2011, that establishes a Christmas Tree Promotion, Research, and Information Order and program that will be financed by an assessment (fee or tax) of $0.15 each on U.S. domestic and imported fresh cut Christmas tree. As ABI is not yet programmed for the fee, AMS sources state that importers will have to pay the fee 30 calendar days after importation.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released a document on the eligibility criteria for the initial test of the Document Image System (DIS) in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). CBP states that to promote the filing of transactions and expedite the transition to ACE, CBP has determined that access to the capabilities within the DIS will be available to ACE entry summary filers and for ACE entry summaries only. This includes ACE entry summaries certified for release.
In comments to the Food and Drug Administration, the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America, Inc. called on the FDA to keep the role of “U.S. agent” for purposes of Prior Notice filings for food separate from the role of “U.S. agent” for the payment of FDA’s new high hourly fees to re-inspect a foreign facility under the Food Safety Modernization Act.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued an updated version of a June 23, 2011 memorandum on 520(d) post importation preference claims to newly state that a 520(d) claim does not require a Post Entry Amendment (PEA), a Post Summary Correction (PSC) or a 19 USC 1514 Protest. The new memo also states that 520(d) claims can be for either classification or value changes that bear directly on the preference claim.
Broker Power is providing readers with some of the top stories for October 24-28, 2011 in case they were missed last week.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted an updated version of its spreadsheet of ACE ESAR A2.2 (Initial Entry Types) programming issues.
On October 12, 2011, U.S. Customs and Border Protection held a webinar on the ACE Courtesy Notice of Liquidation Report, AM-100. While much of this information has been provided in previous CBP notices, the webinar provided new details on the availability of the AM-100 for ACE and ACS-filed entry summaries. New details were also provided on the availability of the bill of lading number for the AM-100 and other account management reports.
At the October 4, 2011 COAC meeting, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials provided an update on the Automated Commercial Environment and the International Trade Data System since the previous COAC meeting in August 2011. According to CBP, ACE continues to be among the agency’s top business priorities. CBP officials also provided an update on its activities on M1, ITDS, Cargo Release, the September 2011 Trade Support Network Plenary, and ACE for Export Processing.
Senator Baucus, the year is coming to a close and by all appearances Alan Bersin is doing what you asked of him almost one and one-half years ago during the May 2010 hearing on his nomination as CBP Commissioner -- to renew and strengthen his focus on the agency’s historical mission to facilitate international trade. You had put him on notice that both the Senate and Finance Committee would be reviewing his record and deciding whether he would be allowed to continue his service as CBP Commissioner beyond December 31, 2011.