Users that have the latest version of Java software are having problems with Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) reports, said CBP in a CSMS message. Such users will see an error message displayed inside a blank report’s tab after clicking the title of any ACE report, said CBP. "CBP has investigated the issue and learned of a setting inside the Java Control Panel that suppresses the error message and allows users to run reports successfully," the agency said. Instructions for fixing the problem within Java are (here).

LAS VEGAS -- The place for Remote Location Filing within the virtual Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) is yet to be decided at this point, said Brenda Brockman Smith, executive director of the ACE business office at CBP. Smith, who spoke at the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America conference on April 9, also said she expects the agency to add some Food and Drug Administration (FDA) elements to the system before CBP begins to require all trade filing in ACE.

CBP should revise its regulations for customs brokers to expand the definition of "corporate compliance activity," the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) said in comments recently filed with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). RILA's comments, filed in response to a DHS request for public input on regulatory changes it should consider (see 14022621), focused on a wide range of CBP regulations that the association said deserve review. The retailers were one of only a few commenters that raised customs issues with DHS.

CBP is looking into merchandise processing fees (MPF) problems for Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Entry Summaries filed with Chapter 98 numbers, said CBP. The agency said it has gotten some reports of filers receiving MPF errors for such filings since CBP's latest deployment of new features within ACE on April 5.

CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske plans to use his experience in bringing together disparate government interests during his time at the Office of National Drug Control Policy to coalesce the other government agencies toward improved import processing, he said in April 2 testimony before the House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Homeland Security. There's already some progress toward that end and Kerlikowske has met with Food and Drug Administration executive Margaret Hamburg to begin a look at "where we could be more knowledgeable and perhaps more helpful," he said. He highlighted a South Texas port where the U.S. Agriculture Department trained and authorized some CBP agricultural inspectors to "act on behalf of USDA and make a decision to release cargo." The "same kind of template can be used with some of our other federal partners and I'm going to explore that very aggressively."

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

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

CBP chose OHL to be one of the three customs brokers to test the Automated Commerce Environment (ACE) cargo release pilot program, the company said in an email. CBP recently expanded the ACE Cargo release test, meant to improve the process for releasing cargo into commerce, relaxing security requirements (see 13110115) for participants and opening it up to ocean and rail modes (see 14013112).

CBP posted an updated version of its guidelines for the Centers for Excellence and Expertise. The updated version provides some new information on "Filer Responsibilities" and "Revenue Collection" among other things. CBP recently added new entry types to the CEEs (see 14030714) and said it would soon shift processing of full industries to the CEEs (see 14030613).

Consumer Product Safety Commission announced on March 25 the following voluntary recalls of imported products: