CBP Announces that Port of Entry Changes Are Allowed on Certain Northern Border Truck Entries

CBP states that the new programming now allows northern border truck entries where the transmission has identified one port of entry, to arrive at and be processed in ACS at another.

For example, when a truck shipment intended to arrive in Detroit arrives in Buffalo instead, if it meets the conditions discussed below, the shipment could be arrived and the entry record would be transferred to Buffalo. According to CBP, this change in programming works as follows:

The process will only be permitted for direct arrival truck shipments on the northern border.

If the merchandise is subject to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation or if an entry summary is on file at the time of release the shipment is ineligible for this processing. When either one of these conditions are met the user will not be permitted to change the district port of entry.

If the above conditions are met to change the district port of entry the CBP Officer will be allowed to change the port of entry code and allow the entry to be processed and completed at the new port. The entire entry record will transfer to the new port of entry.

The entry processing and conversion of the port codes should be completed by the processing Officer. If all edits and validations are passed successfully Cargo Selectivity processing will rerun and the district port of entry will be changed to the user's sign on district port. All records that are associated to the entry will be converted to the new DDPP of entry.

This process will be accommodated by the use of the Pre-Arrival Processing System (PAPS) script at land border truck crossings. It will not be performed at those ports using the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). These changes will be incorporated into ACE at a later date. All ports are encouraged to update the PAPS script on all processing terminals to this new version as soon as possible to receive the full benefit of this process.

(According to CBP, for several years there has been a request from the trade community and CBP personnel for universal port code functionality that would allow entry information to be transmitted to CBP for arrival at any port of entry. However, CBP states that based on system limitations and regulatory challenges, CBP has been unable to fully develop this functionality. CBP states that it has developed the above as an alternative to what has been requested by the trade community and CBP personnel.)

CBP states that this program will help prevent a significant number of entries from remaining unresolved and requiring deletion and cancellation processes.

CBP contacts - James Swanson (202) 344-2576 or Linda Riley (703) 921-7130

CBP notice (dated 05/05/05) available at http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/import/cargo_control/cross_port_memo.ctt/cross_port_memo.doc.

BP Notes

According to northern border contacts, although CBP used the phrase "district port of entry," it means the same as port of entry.

Northern border contacts also state that when CBP refers to entries in Border Cargo Selectivity (BCS) in this notice, it is referring to PAPS entries.

(PAPS is an ACS border cargo release mechanism that utilizes barcode technology to expedite the release of commercial shipments while processing each shipment through BCS and the Automated Targeting System (ATS).)

See today's ITT, 05051025, for BP summary of CBP administrative messages on the northern border district port of entry change as it affects cargo release R1, output record, the HI cargo release, or the HN border cargo release application, as well as the exclusion of remote location filed (RLF) entries.