CBP Again Extends ACAS Pilot

CBP will again extend its Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) pilot, which allows for early filing of cargo data, for another year, through July 26, 2017, the agency said (here). Unlike past extensions, CBP is not seeking more participants because "the current pilot participants now represent a strong sample size of the air cargo community," CBP said. CBP still plans to issue a proposed rulemaking for ACAS and "has begun work on that process," it said. CBP plans to run the pilot during the regulatory process, it said. "This will provide continuity in the flow of advance air cargo security information and serve as a stop-gap measure to address the vulnerability of the air cargo supply chain." CBP has extended the pilot several times, most recently last year (see 1507240021). Some additional steps are required before the rulemaking process begins, said Brandon Fried, executive director of the Airforwarders Association. A necessary Office of Management and Budget economic impact review and a need for further testing of standard operating procedures are among the reasons the agency has not yet gone forward with a rulemaking, Fried said.