Manifest Confidentiality

The Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) will not move forward with a proposal under the 21st Century Customs Framework (21CCF) to make ocean vessel manifest data automatically confidential, according to a report from the 21CCF task force released by the COAC Nov. 28. The provision is one of several listed by the task force in the report that the COAC will no longer advance after recent discussions with CBP.

CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:​

International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for May 18-22 in case they were missed.

CBP is updating how it processes requests for vessel manifest confidentiality, the agency said in a final rule. The rule provides for submissions via an online portal known as the Vessel Manifest Confidentiality Online Application. “This new portal allows CBP to review confidentiality requests more efficiently by automating the submission process, reducing the processing time to as little as 24 hours in most cases,” the agency said. CBP regulations allow for public release of vessel manifest information unless confidentiality is requested. “This final rule does not require prior notice and comment because it relates to agency management and agency organization, procedures, or practice,” CBP said.

CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:​

CBP will be “implementing new requirements in ACE for processing entries subject to the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trilateral trade agreement (USMCA)” on July 1, the agency said in an updated ACE deployment schedule. That's the same day the USMCA takes effect. CBP also has determined it will deploy Electronic Vessel Manifest Confidentiality in ACE on May 22, and it removed “Analytical Formula for Continuous Bond Sufficiency due to change in project scope,” according to the change log.

The next ACE deployment to affect the trade will be risk based bonding under the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, CBP said in an updated deployment schedule. The agency said Release 1B for TFTEA risk based bonding in scheduled for March 2020, while release 2 will be deployed in July. Those additions are meant to reduce the risk of uncollected antidumping or countervailing duties and then “provide CBP users with a single view of all bonds (i.e. bond usage) for a given entry/entry summary number," it said. The first phase of truck manifest deployment (see 1911040023) is planned for March 2020, while deployment of Real Time Automated Surety Interface capabilities is set for June, it said.

CBP issued the following release on commercial trade and related matters:​

CBP will streamline its processing of vessel manifest confidentiality requests by allowing for electronic submissions, it said in an Aug. 22 notice. Vessel manifest information is frequently used by trade data companies, such as Panjiva, Datamyne and Import Genius. "Currently, any importer, consignee, or exporter may request confidential treatment of their name and address on inward and outward vessel manifests via a manual email request that typically takes 60-90 days to be processed," CBP said. "The new enhancement will automate this process via an online tool, located on CBP.gov, reducing the processing time of confidentiality requests to as little as 24 hours." Also, CBP said "the new tool will enable companies and individuals to directly input all applicable name variations into the Vessel Manifest Confidentiality request tool."

ATLANTA -- The new agricultural security criteria within the updated Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) Minimum Security Criteria "is probably the most controversial," said Liz Schmelzinger, CTPAT director at CBP, during a panel discussion at the CBP 2018 Trade Symposium on Aug. 15. "I was told 'slugs are not terrorists,'" she said. Having cargo stopped due to agricultural issues is very expensive and time-consuming, she said. CBP recently began circulating proposed MSC updates to CTPAT members through the CTPAT portal (see 1807300011).