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

CBP posted numerous documents providing overviews of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) and its benefits for various industries as well as other information on ACE. Many of the fact sheets mirror the agency's previous list of ACE benefits by industry (here), though there are several industries that aren't addressed in the previous document.

The CBP transition from the Automated Commercial System to the Automated Commercial Environment has resulted in the accidental release of confidential manifest information, according to international trade law firm Grunfeld, Desiderio, Lebowitz, Silverman & Klestadt (GDLSK). The firm said on its Website that CBP is aware of the problem and is working to fix it. CBP didn't return a request for comment.

House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) introduced Dec. 7 long-awaited legislation meant to modernize CBP and other customs-related agencies.

CBP's requirement for the arrival of the full in-bond shipment before a subsequent in-bond movement in ACE may require some revision and the agency is working on an update, said a CBP spokeswoman. The agency recently said it needed to put the new policy in place to better track in-bond movements and adjust to programming edits related to the transition to ACE M1: Rail and Sea.

CBP hopes to deploy its Partner Government Agency (PGA) message set in the "spring-summer timeframe," said Brenda Smith, acting director of the ACE business office while speaking at the CBP Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations (COAC) meeting on Dec. 4. "We see that very close on the horizon, she said.

International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Nov. 19-23 in case they were missed.

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

CBP is moving toward testing Simplified Entry for Lacey Act filings, said Vincent Annunziato, director of cargo control and release at CBP, speaking at the CBP East Coast Trade Symposium Nov. 28. CBP recently wrapped up its Phase 1 of Simplified Entry testing when it expanded the pilot to numerous ports, said Annunziato. (See ITT's Online Archives 12081319 for summary of CBP's plans to expand the simplified entry pilot. Simplified Entry allows for filing of shipment information earlier in the import process and is now being tested within air cargo.)

CBP's New York Field Operations office released the agenda for its meeting for 10 a.m. Dec. 5 in Rm. 401, 1100 Raymond Blvd., Newark. Agenda items include an ACE update on holding code clarification, CES update, resumption of business plan, damaged merchandise procedures and post-storm procedures, it said in an Information Pipeline notice. Details: Linda Birck, 973-368-6107 or linda.birck@dhs.gov.