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

CBP fixed a problem with Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) entry summary processing, CBP said in a CSMS message. Entry summaries that resulted in an ACE system failure response should be resubmitted, CBP said. The agency said earlier on June 19 that its ACE entry summary processing was down (here) and that the issue was being worked as "our highest priority."

MINNEAPOLIS -- The U.S., Mexico and Canada are edging closer to implementing a unified portal to process import and export compliance verifications, as the U.S. strives to meet a 2016 deadline on Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) completion and Canada wraps up work on its own single window, said acting CBP deputy commissioner Kevin McAleenan during June 17 remarks at the American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI) annual conference. Mexico has already completed work on its single window counterpart and integration among the three countries is “almost visible on the horizon,” said McAleenan.

It's still unclear exactly when the three Centers of Excellence and Expertise (CEE) chosen for accelerated roll-out will begin to handle import processing for their respective industries, said Elena Ryan, who is in charge of the transition to the CEEs at CBP. Those CEEs -- the Pharmaceutical CEE in New York, the Electronics CEE in Los Angeles and the Petroleum CEE in Houston -- will be the first centers to handle post-release processing for entire industries (see 14030613). Despite rumors otherwise, "we do not have a specific date in mind for all of this to happen," she said. Ryan discussed process on the CEEs during the American Conference Institute's Import Compliance and Enforcement forum on June 13.

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

The House Appropriations Committee approved by bipartisan voice vote on June 11 fiscal year (FY) 2015 appropriations legislation for the Department of Homeland Security. The measure includes nearly $8.3 billion in funds for CBP border security, immigration, customs, agricultural inspections, regulatory activities related to plant and animal imports, and other fundamental resources and operations. The draft bill mandates that $3.3 million should be derived from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to fund CBP. The draft also directs $810.2 million, of which $446.6 million should remain available through FY16, to be spent on automation. Of the $810.2 million, $140.1 million should be reserved for development of the Automated Commercial Environment. The Senate Appropriations Committee has yet to consider or release counterpart legislation.

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

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

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

The House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee for Homeland Security advanced Department of Homeland Security fiscal year 2015 appropriations legislation by unanimous voice vote on May 28. Committee Democratic leadership expressed support for the legislation during the markup. Lawmakers did not offer or debate amendments to the legislation. The full Appropriations Committee will now consider the bill. The legislation would boost funding for CBP and mandate spending for completion of the Automated Commercial Environment (see 14052817).