Automated Commercial Environment (ACE)

CBP released an updated version of frequently asked questions regarding the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). CBP included new information on importer security filing (here), post summary corrections (here), e-Manifest: Rail and Sea (here), and Cargo Release/Simplified Entry (here). The full FAQs on ACE is (here).

Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) filers are able to transmit entry summaries certified for cargo release for Entry Type 03 (AD/CVD) using Remote Location Filing (RLF), said CBP in a CSMS reminder. RLF 03 filing is not yet available in the Automated Commercial System (ACS), said CBP.

CBP will soon ask for user feedback on it's Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), the agency said in its ACE Trade Account Owner (TAO) update for October. CBP has asked for such input the last several years, it said.

CBP will start using additional agriculture hold types to to better indicate the status of cargo on agriculture hold, said CBP Seattle in a Trade Information Notice (TIN) . According to the TIN:

Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) filers can now transmit entry summaries certified for cargo release for Entry Type 03 (AD/CVD) using Remote Location Filing (RLF), said CBP in a CSMS message.

CBP posted an updated "Trade Transformation" guide, providing a list of some of the remaining questions to consider as it moves toward a rewrite of broker regulations. The document also now includes a list of Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) capabilities, descriptions of ACE goals and the impacts of certain capabilities.

CBP posted a fact sheet on deployed Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) capabilities as of October 2012. The following capabilities have been delivered in ACE in support of CBP, Participating Government Agencies (PGAs), and the trade community:

FedEx Trade Networks said it has completed its mission to enable ACE (Automated Commercial Environment) entry summary filing at all U.S. ports of entry. "Technology plays a huge role in our business and any opportunity to work with CBP to pioneer innovation in our industry is always a win," said Andy Henry, vice president of U.S. Operations for FedEx Trade Networks. Since it's well ahead of any CBP mandated cutover date, the company said it expects no service disruptions when the cutover becomes mandatory. "Customers benefit from the improved visibility and expanded functionality of the new ACE systems which allows them to make better, real-time decisions regarding their shipments," Henry said.

CBP had processed imports valued at nearly $1.2 trillion in the first half of 2012, up 10 percent over a year earlier, CBP said in its mid-year trade report. That's an increase of more than $100 billion in imports over the value of merchandise shipped into the U.S. during the first half of 2011, it said, and the second year in a row that mid-year figures have exceeded a trillion dollars. The figures are "encouraging signs" for the economy, said CBP Deputy Commissioner David Aguilar. He said mid-year revenue collections increased by almost $1.5 billion, and "we've seen an increase in the number of importers, lines of merchandise, and the amount of products contained in shipments. These are all strong indications that importers have confidence in consumer spending and expect to be able to sell additional merchandise."

CBP still has not seen any major or minor issues with the move from the rail and sea legacy manifest filing systems to Automated Commercial Environment (ACE): e-Manifest (M1), said Brenda Smith, head of the ACE business office in an interview. Since the transition on Sept. 28, a day earlier than the official cutoff date, all automated manifest system (AMS) filers are using the M1 system for automated filing. The move to M1 marks a significant milestone for ACE, which has proven to be a difficult and expensive process for CBP.