CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:

CBP should further revise its timeline for Automated Commercial Environment implementation, the National Association of Foreign Trade Zones said in a Nov. 16 letter to CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske (here). A recent update to the CBP and Trade Automated Interface Requirements (CATAIR) changed the data reporting requirements for FTZs in ACE and require further testing, said the trade group. CBP previously scheduled deployment of quota-related entry types, including FTZs, for Feb. 27, but has since revised that plan following industry concerns (see 1509300020).

The elimination of "hybrid" customs filings that are both in paper form and electronic may force some companies to revert to paper filing, a worrisome prospect that "could severely impact the economy," said UPS in comments to CBP (here). Any "process that requires a full paper submission seems to contrast" with CBP's automation goal, the company said." Neither CBP, the [Partner Government Agencies] nor the Trade have the human capital to return to such an antiquated process," it said. The company's comments were in response to CBP's interim final rule and proposal that outlined the agencies plans to make the Automated Commercial Environment mandatory and wind down the Automated Commercial System (see 1510090017).

CBP New York/Newark released statistics in a pipeline notice showing the "cycle time measurement" of Centralized Examination Stations from July through September. The cycle times refer to the time from ocean container arrival, as transmitted via the Automated Commercial Environment, through final examination completion release date.

CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:

CBP will adopt a final rule on the centralization of the agency's continuous bond program that doesn't include several previously proposed provisions, CBP said in a notice (here). A CBP proposal in 2010 (see 10011105) mentioned numerous changes that the agency decided to avoid due to other regulatory updates, it said. The agency also added some new changes in response to public comments it received, CBP said. The rule is effective Dec. 14.

International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Nov. 2-6 in case they were missed.

BALTIMORE -- The role of the Centers of Excellence and Expertise as a liaison between the port and the other government agencies is expected to grow as the program matures, said CBP and industry panelists while discussing the program at the East Coast Trade Symposium on Nov. 5. CBP is set to continue its expanded use of the CEEs, with plans to open the Apparel CEE to the entire industry by the end of the year (see 1511040014). While speaking with reporters on Nov. 4, Todd Owen, assistant commissioner of CBP’s Office of Field Operations, said the other six CEEs will also open to entire industries by June.

CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:

BALTIMORE -- Despite rapidly approaching deadlines for implementation of the Automated Commercial Environment by the trade community, the latest data from CBP still shows only about 10 percent of cargo release submissions are being done in ACE, said Steve Hilsen, CBP’s lead executive for the single window, at the East Coast Trade Symposium on Nov. 5. Though part of the reason for the low adoption rate is the incomplete implementation of partner government agency (PGA) requirements, there’s “a lot of cargo releases out there” that aren’t subject to PGAs, he said.