U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced that it recently added a new "Trade Transformation" page under its "Trade" section on CBP.gov. The new page provides information on the Centers of Excellence and Expertise (CEE), Simplified Process, Role of the Broker, contact information for these trade transformation initiatives, and provides a link to the ACE: Modernization Information System page. The Simplified Process page provides information on the Simplified Entry (SE) and Simplified Summary initiatives. CBP has recently updated the SE Pilot Frequently Asked Questions (Technical) document on the Simplified Process page to include more information on the upcoming pilot. The new Trade Transformation page is available here.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a document providing an overview of reports in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). The document provides information on the different types of ACE reports, when the data in the ACE reports are refreshed, and the value of the reports from the importer, broker, and carrier perspectives. It also provides information on ACE report features, such as the ability to modify or fully customize a report, the use of queries, filters, etc. Report enhancements for e-Manifest: Rail and Sea (M1) and A2.3.2 are also provided. See overview document for details.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued another CSMS message announcing that it is still accepting registrations for its March 6-8, 2012 seminar at the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) meeting in Arlington, VA that will cover programming changes for existing and new functionality scheduled to be delivered as part of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). The seminar will target ocean and rail software developers and ABI software developers. Presentations will focus on: (i) Changes to CAMIR and X12 message formats required for the deployment of ACE Ocean and Rail Manifest, mandatory ABI changes required for this deployment, and the decommissioning of the ACS Ocean and Rail Manifest system; and (ii) Current and future ACE deployments including ACE Entry Summary Filing, Post Summary Corrections, PGA Message Set, Document Image System, Simplified Entry/Cargo Release, and Export Manifest. Registration is available at http://www.ncbfaa.org/.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a February 2012 update on its progress with various ACE capabilities and other projects, such as the Document Image System, PGA Message Set, e-Manifest: rail and Sea (M1), ACE Truck, Automated Export Processing etc. With this update, CBP states that a DIS pilot test will be announced in March and M1 will be operational at all direct ports by the end of March. The update has added information on Simplified Entry and Simplified Summary, but removed the dates for the ACE Cargo Release contract award and the Simplified Entry test (the test is now expected to begin in April 2012).
Broker Power is providing readers with some of the top stories for February 21 - February 24, 2012 in case they were missed last week.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a notice advising the trade on the system requirements needed to file an entry summary with a Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) claim in the Automated Commercial System (ACS). CBP states it will advise the trade in a future message when the below system changes have been completed in ACS (EI). When these changes takes effect, the trade will also be able to file such claims in the ACE AE.1 CBP states that KORUS will have an effective date of March 15, 2012.
At the February 21, 2012 COAC meeting, members approved an updated set of draft instructions for the new version of the CBP Form 301 (Customs Bond) that took effect on January 1, 2012. According to COAC, there are concerns with the new bond form, and CBP thought the quickest way to address many of the concerns was to update the instructions to include proper procedures of usage.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced that the weekend maintenance performed in the extended ACE maintenance window is complete and ACE is now available. On Friday February 24, 2012, CBP had announced that the regular ACE Maintenance Window (Saturday 2300 EST - Sunday 0500 EST) would be extended to Sunday, February 26, 2012, if needed, from 5am EST - 2pm EST.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a notice stating that effective January 30, 2012, the Office of International Trade/Trade Policy and Programs is no longer processing Remote Location Filing applications. This process has been transitioned to the client representatives within the ACE Business Office. The client representatives will be responsible for determining the filer’s ability to transmit via the Electronic Invoice Program (EIP), determine RLF eligibility, and convey results, once the filer has demonstrated it meets certain thresholds.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a February 16, 2012 version of its "Technical" Frequently Asked Questions document on the ACE Simplified Entry (SE) Pilot for air cargo. The new version has three new Q&As on updating and resending SEs, and four news Q&As on deleting SEs. The other sections of the FAQs have not been updated for new information.