The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report entitled Information Technology: Customs Has Made Progress on Automated Commercial Environment System, but It Faces Long-Standing Management Challenges and New Risks.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site a press release announcing that its three-day Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Exchange Conference addressing ACE's modernized, secure trade processing that took place in Chicago, Illinois on August 15-17, 2006 has concluded. CBP has also posted to its Web site 27 PowerPoint presentations that were presented during the conference.

An August 2006 version of the "Trade User's Guide for ACE-ESAR Release A2" has been released. This pamphlet was prepared by two members of the trade community to help current ABI/ACS customs brokers, self-filers, and their automation vendors focus on significant changes they might experience as ACE ESAR (Entry Summary, Accounts, Revenue) is rolled out.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted its August 2006 Modernization Monthly newsletter to its Web site. The following are "highlights" of some of the topics addressed in the newsletter:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted the following to its Web site:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site a notice announcing that it will be holding its Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) Enrollment Seminar in El Paso, Texas on August 29-31, 2006.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an updated list of 45 administrative messages, from July 2006 back to 1993, detailing procedures for Remote Location Filing (RLF), Electronic Invoice Processing (EIP), and the use of Invoice by Request (INVREQ) in both RLF and EIP. This updated list reflects the addition of Adm: 06-0871, which states that filers may not use EIP or RFL for EU pasta agreement entries. (See ITT's Online Archives or 07/31/06 news, 06073110 for BP summary of Adm: 06-0871.)(List of RLF and EIP Messages, dated 07/25/06, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/cargo_summary/remote_location_filing/operational_notes/message_list.xml.)

On July 13, 2006, the Senate passed its own version of H.R. 5441, the fiscal year (FY) 2007 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), etc.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted updated information to its Web site regarding its Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Exchange Conference for importers and brokers on August 15-16, 2006 and for truck carriers on August 16-17, 2006, in Chicago, IL.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted the following new modified ACE EDI messages for Release 4 Truck Manifest: