Automated Commercial Environment (ACE)

CBP reported new statistics on Automated Commercial Environment use during April (here). There's 24,080 ACE trade accounts and 62,656 approved ACE portal users, said CBP. These updated numbers reflect increased ACE use compared to March, it said. Some 37% of all entry summary filers in April, 905 out of 2,414, submitted an entry summary in ACE up 12% from March, said CBP. Filing in ACE cargo release remained relatively steady at 4.4% of all cargo release filings, while ACE entry summary filings increased in April to 53.8% of all entry summaries.

CBP posted a list (here) of forms for other agencies that will be required through the Document Image System as of the coming Automated Commercial Environment deadline. Most of the forms listed will be required within DIS as of Nov. 1, when all entry summary and release filing will be required in ACE. The other forms listed will be available in DIS beginning January of 2016, said CBP. The list also notes whether the specific forms are required at entry, required for post release and upon request or required for export.

CBP is working to fix some system integration issues that followed the transition to the Automated Commercial Environment for air manifest filing, said the agency in a CSMS message (here). The problems involve invalid firms codes and other messages, said CBP. "Resolution of these issues is a top priority for CBP," said CBP. "ACE programmers are working as quickly as possible to resolve these critical issues as they are identified. To further facilitate the transition, our Air Manifest operational support staffing is being extended through Sunday, June 14."

The Agricultural Marketing Service is issuing a proposed rule to allow for electronic filing of shell egg import requests through the CBP Automated Commercial Environment and by email (here). "This rule would streamline the importation process for table eggs, hatching eggs and inedible liquid egg by requiring that applications for inspection be submitted electronically," said the AMS. The proposed rule is meant to comply with President Barack Obama's executive order that called for completion of the International Trade Data System by the end of 2016. Comment on the proposed change are due Aug. 10.

CBP scheduled an "emergency" Automated Commercial Environment outage for the early morning of June 9 to fix problems with the Air Manifest system, said CBP in a CSMS message (here). "CBP ports will remain in a facilitative posture as we continue to evaluate system performance," said CBP in a later CSMS message (here). "Once CBP determines the system is stable and performing as designed, ports will return to normal operations."

CBP will shut down its Air Automated Manifest System (AMS) on June 6, requiring use of the Automated Commercial Environment for all air manifests after a month-long delay prompted by concerns of a lack of testing by the trade (see 1504300015). The migration to ACE will cause both the Automated Commercial System and ACE to be taken down, with ACS becoming unavailable at 3 p.m. EDT on June 6 for two hours, and ACE going offline around 7 p.m. EDT on June 6 and coming back by 5 a.m. EDT on June 7, said CBP in a recent CSMS message (here). ACE should then take about two hours to get back to real-time processing as it clears out a backlog of data submitted during the outage, according to the transcript from a June 4 CBP webinar on the air manifest transition (here).

The National Marine Fisheries Service announced it will soon begin a pilot to test filing in the Automated Commercial Environment (here). The pilot will test filing of both partner government agency (PGA) message set data elements and scanned images in the Document Imaging System (DIS) for three NMFS programs: the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Program, which includes tuna and swordfish; the Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR) program, which covers toothfish (Dissostichus species); and the NOAA Tuna Tracking and Verification Program (NOAA Form 370), which covers a variety of canned, frozen, pouched and other processed tuna but not fresh tuna. The joint NMFS-CBP pilot will begin “after July 1,” said the announcement.

CBP will be keeping a close eye on testing of the Automated Commercial Environment and will be conducting targeted outreach to test specific scenarios as its Nov. 1 deadline approaches, an agency spokeswoman told International Trade Today in response to questions on how the postponement of ACE implementation until Oct. 31 for several quota-related entry types affects the agency’s approach. The delay leaves only one day for live filing before ACE becomes mandatory and the Automated Commercial System goes offline, causing some concern among customs brokers and software developers (see 1506030054).

A recently announced delay in implementation of certain entry types in the Automated Commercial Environment has ratcheted up the pressure on filers and software providers striving to meet CBP’s Nov. 1 deadline. CBP on May 22 issued a CSMS message (here) pushing back deployment in ACE of all entry types that may include quota merchandise from June 27 to Oct. 31. That leaves only one day for live testing of those entry types -- 11 in total, including foreign-trade zone and warehouse entries and withdrawals -- before the Automated Commercial System goes offline and paper becomes the only fallback, said customs brokers and software developers in interviews.

The progress of customs legislation and the transition to the Automated Commercial Environment has drawback processes poised for some major updates, some over a decade in the making, said industry members during a June 2 panel discussion. The customs bills, now in various stages, includes a number of ideas supported by the Trade Support Network, including the elimination of rulings on drawback issues and an eight digit HTS substitution standard, said Bobby Waid, CEO of Charter Brokerage, who spoke on the panel at the American Association of Exporters and Importers conference. Recent work toward simplified process (see 1506010021) also includes potential updates to the program.