CBP provided an update related to coming changes to drawback filing that were part of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (see 1603010043). In CBP's November drawback simplification newsletter, the agency mentioned the recent release of new drawback procedures now available in the ACE certification environment for testing and the updated draft Customs and Trade Automated Interface Requirements (CATAIR) (see 1711150046). "After each Sprint review, [the CBP Trade Transformation Office] will conduct Sprint overviews with the [Drawback Working Group] to address technical developments in ACE Drawback programming," CBP said.
CBP will no longer accept paper copies of in-bond applications (CBP Form 7512) "to perform arrival and export functionality" starting Jan. 2, 2018, Miami Assistant Port Director Kemisha Sherrell said in an information bulletin that includes a timeline for implementing new in-bond regulations that took effect Nov. 27 (see 1709270027). "Electronic reporting of arrival and export will be mandatory" as of Jan. 2, it said. Starting Feb. 5, "electronic reporting of diversion to a port other than reported on the in-bond will be required" and "ACE edits will reject the arrival if not performed," it said. Beginning March 5, "electronic reporting of bond locations (FIRMS code) will be required" and "ACE edits will reject arrival if not provided." As of Nov. 27, 2017, "CBP will no longer accept paper copies of the CBP Form 7512 for input by CBP (expect for pipeline movements)" and "informed compliance for elements will begin," Sherrell said. CBP recently said it didn't plan to immediately begin enforcement of the new regulations (see 1711220043).
CBP updated its ACE Entry Summary Business Process document, the agency said in a Nov. 27 CSMS message. The newest version includes information on foreign-trade zone entry summary processing and ACE reports, CBP said.
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CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
Fiscal year 2018 Homeland Security spending legislation released by the Senate Appropriations Committee Nov. 21, directs $38 million to support ACE core functionality and $5 million for ACE enhancements, language that wasn’t included in similar legislation that passed the House in September (see 1709150052). “It is clear that additional system development is needed to continue to facilitate interactions with vendors and importers,” the committee said in an explanatory statement of the bill. Fully automating CBP Form 214 (Application for Foreign-Trade Zone Admission and/or Status Designation) would be an example of such an enhancement, the summary says. CBP plans to roll out FTZ admission capabilities in ACE by Dec. 9 (see 1709110034).
The Senate Appropriations Committee on Nov. 21 released its fiscal year 2018 Homeland Security spending legislation that would fund CBP at $13.5 billion total, $364 million below the agency’s budget request, the committee announced. The bill also recommends $38 million to support ACE core functionality and another $5 million for ACE program enhancements, according to an explanatory statement of the bill. “Full automation of CBP Form 214 [Application for Foreign-Trade Zone Admission and/or Status Designation] … is an example of an enhancement that would benefit both the Federal and industry interests,” the explanatory statement says. The House passed its version of FY18 appropriations legislation in September (see 1709150052).
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP reminded the trade community of upcoming increases to certain fees that take effect at the beginning of the new year, in a CSMS message sent Nov. 22. The changes are already in the ACE certification environment for trade testing, and the corresponding CATAIR programming requirements will be posted by Nov. 24, CBP said. "These changes will be in the ACE Production environment by November 30, 2017, and will be effective for entries with an entry date on or after January 1, 2018," it said. Effective that date, the minimum merchandise processing fee for formal entries will rise from $25, to $25.67, and the maximum MPF will increase from $485 to $497.99. The MPF ad valorem rate of 0.3464% will not change, CBP said. Other increased fees include the informal MPF to $2.05, the dutiable mail fee to $5.65, and the surcharge for manual entry or release to $3.08. CBP announced the fee increases on Nov. 1 (see 1710310044).
CBP does not intend “at this time” to bring back its "KN" ultimate consignee query function in ACE, after the capability was shut off in September as part of the switch from the legacy Automated Commercial System, the agency said, according to a blog post by software developer CustomsNow. The query function, which allowed a filer to obtain the ultimate consignee’s name and address and identification number, was particularly valuable because it allowed brokers to find out if CBP had assigned an ID number to a non-resident importer of record, the blog post said. But in a “response from the ACE Support Hotline,” CBP said it “is aware of the trade communities concerns related to the discontinuation of the KN application” but “has decided not to develop or transition” KN in ACE, according to the blog post. “This is one update to ACE that seems to run contrary” to the principle “of making information more accessible and transparent,” CustomsNow said. “Brokers and local CBP port staff will have to take additional, and sometimes manual steps to determine this information.” CBP did not comment.