CBP posted a "list of all agency forms or data required at time of entry or entry summary filing that must be electronically submitted" in the Automated Commercial Environment as of Nov. 1. The list (here) includes information on forms and data requirements by associated agency, program/commodity, and includes related status for pilots, working groups, and technical documentation. It also shows whether the forms will be submitted via the PGA Message Set or Document Image System (DIS). Filing in ACE will be mandatory for electronic entries and entry summaries starting Nov. 1. CBP and other federal agencies "are working to ensure that any forms/data required at time of entry or entry summary are supported in ACE" by Nov. 1, said CBP.

CBP's slowness to write policies for automation as the agency moves quickly to deploy new capabilities is one area of concern ahead of the coming Automation Commercial Environment deadlines, said Amy Magnus, A.N. Deringer's director of customs affairs and compliance. Magnus, who was recently chosen to be on the next CBP Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations, discussed ACE on a March 31 panel at the Northeast Trade and Transportation conference hosted by the Coalition of New England Companies for Trade in Newport, R.I. "With automation, there are changes in processes," she said. "With changes in processes, there really should be updated policies to go along with it. And updated policies in written form so that we aren't guessing, so everybody knows what the rules are." While CBP should be applauded for moving quickly on the agile deployment of ACE "they sometimes are not as quick to roll out written policies and procedures around that automation," she said.

The Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations (COAC) for CBP will next meet April 24 at 9 a.m. in Washington, CBP said in a notice (here).

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

CBP is seeking participants in a new Directorate of Defense Trade Controls working group to inform its development of the Automated Commercial Environment. The DDTC working group, comprising DDTC-regulated importers and software developers, will hold weekly conference calls to review DDTC’s partner government agency (PGA) message set in ACE, as well as the impacts of the International Trade Data System on DDTC-regulated importation processes in general, said CBP in a CSMS message (here). Importers and software developers interested in participating should email the relevant CBP and trade community working group leads by April 3, said CBP (here).

International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for March 23-27 in case they were missed.

CBP is extending the comment period to April 29 for an existing information collection on Entry and Immediate Delivery applications and Automated Commercial Environment Cargo Release. CBP proposes (here) to extend the expiration date of this information collection with a change in the burden hours resulting from the transition from Form 3461 to ACE Cargo Release.

CBP is now allowing testing simplified entry of cargo that's subject to antidumping/countervailing duty proceedings, it said in a notice (here). The Automated Commercial Environment cargo release pilot, previously known as simplified entry, will also now allow for filing for release of split shipments, partial shipments, and cargo that's been moved in-bond, said CBP. This test expansion follows another change made last month to allow for combined entry and importer security filing data (see 1502090010).

The Commerce Department denied export privileges for Flider Electronics for 180 days after the Office of Export Enforcement revealed the company has repeatedly shipped electronic products without required licenses (here). Flider also does business as Trident International Corporation and Trident International. The San Francisco-based company falsified the contents of shipments in Automated Commercial Environment filings, and the U.S. government also suspects Flider of falsifying end-users and making transshipments to Russia via Finland and Estonia. These dealings violate the Export Administration Regulations, Commerce said.

The Food and Drug Administration will begin a pilot on July 1 to test filing in the Automated Commercial Environment, said Domenic Veneziano, FDA director of import operations, during a March 24 webinar (here). The pilot will identify any issues with the use of ACE to file and release FDA-regulated entries in advance of the Nov. 1 deadline for mandatory filing and cargo release, said Veneziano. CBP expects to issue a Federal Register notice in April or May to provide details on the pilot, such as eligible commodities and ports, and request participation from industry, said Veneziano and CBP’s Elizabeth McQueen, who leads CBP’s International Trade Data System branch.