CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP posted a list of frequently asked questions about protest filings in ACE (here). As of Aug. 27, protests filed electronically must be filed through ACE (see 1608080015).
CBP received and is considering how to respond to a Trade Support Network leadership council request to allow for a grace period for drawback and reconciliation filing after deployment in ACE (see 1608310049), an agency spokeswoman said. "CBP is continually evaluating the readiness around this transition and is committed to ensuring that the transition does not disrupt the flow of commerce," she said. " A response will be provided to the trade community upon further assessment of these considerations." The TSN asked for a 60-day "grace period" during which filers could use the Automated Commercial System while testing ACE for drawback and reconciliation.
Additional data elements required by the Food and Drug Administration for ACE entries are increasing costs and staffing needs for the trade community, companies and trade associations said in comments on FDA’s proposed rule to codify the new requirements (here). FDA’s ACE requirements “represent an economically significant greater burden on the trade community compared to the data required in the previous Automated Commercial System (ACS),” the Express Association of America said (here). One EAA member calculated an increase of 50% in the time required to process an FDA entry in ACE over the time required in ACS, “from 16 to 24 minutes,” the EAA said. “In order to continue to meet the strict delivery deadlines in the express environment for FDA-regulated products, the increased processing time has resulted in a requirement for a 40% increase in staffing for these shipments,” it said.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP should give the trade community a grace period of 60 days to file in the legacy Automated Commercial System after it deploys drawback and reconciliation in ACE on Oct. 1, the Trade Support Network leadership council said in a letter to the agency dated Aug. 26. Current plans to deactivate ACS for drawback and reconciliation at the same time CBP launches drawback and reconciliation in ACE do not leave enough time for testing and training, and the agency still hasn’t issued the required policies and regulations, it said.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) will end its partner government agency message set pilot for data submission in ACE, ATF said in a notice (here). While the pilot will end as of Aug. 31, "the mandatory filing date for filing entries in ACE has yet to be determined," ATF said. The agency began the pilot last summer (see 1507290025). "Importers should be aware that no changes have been made to the requirement that importers submit their copy of the Form 6A (with Sections I and III completed) to ATF within 15 days of release from CBP custody," ATF said.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP posted the two most recent versions of its ACE Entry Summary Business Process document (here). The most recent version (here), dated Aug. 26, includes a new section on drawback in preparation for the Oct. 1 deadline mandating ACE for electronic drawback filings (see 1608110026).
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Aug. 22-26 in case they were missed.