CBP has identified an issue that has been “regularly” causing ACE cargo release status notifications (SO messages) to be delayed by up to an hour, it said in a CSMS message. A fix for the issue will be deployed May 26, it said (here). “If these delays are encountered prior to this deployment, please wait one hour to see if the SO message is returned before reporting the issue to your Client Representative,” said CBP.

On July 23, CBP will begin requiring filing in ACE of entries and entry summaries for most remaining entry types, including entry types with quota merchandise, it said in a notice set for publication in the Federal Register (here). As of that date, ACE cargo release and entry summary will be mandatory for entry types 02, 07, 12, 21, 22, 31, 32, 34, 38, 61, 62, 63, 69 and 70, said CBP. The legacy Automated Commercial System (ACS) will no longer be available. Entry types 01, 03, 06, 11, 23, 51 and 52 are already set to become mandatory (and in some cases, already have) by that date.

Strengthening ties with partner government agencies and industry has helped CBP to seize shipments that violate intellectual property rights and the greater engagement is hoped to translate into disrupting dumped steel shipments, CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske said on May 18 during the Global Supply Chain Summit hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (here). The new interagency task force will complement CBP’s recent use of single transaction bonds and imposing of “live entry” requirements on higher risk imports to protect government revenue and to find and deter evasion (see 1603030015)., he said. On May 2, CBP announced the creation of the unit to combat steel dumping and forced labor shipments (see 1605030032).

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

Form 7501s stamped by CBP for vehicle imports don't signify compliance with other government agency statutes and regulations, said CBP in a CSMS message (here). There's some confusion about this issue and the CBP stamp and signature only means that the importer completed the CBP import processing and provided proof of ownership by presenting the original certificate of title, or a certified copy of the originals," said CBP. "Customs brokers may print an ACE electronic equivalent of the CF 7501 for CBP to sign and stamp," for clients, though Departments of Motor Vehicles may notice a difference between the 7501 and the equivalent, CBP said. "For the purpose of individuals registering their vehicles in the United States, CBP will only stamp a paper CF 7501 or its ACE electronic equivalent upon request. CBP will not stamp any other form/document as substitution for the CF 7501 and CBP will not stamp or sign any other U.S. Government agencies’ forms (e.g., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration HS-7 Declaration Form or the Environmental Protection Agency 3520-1 Form). As CBP goes forward with ACE, "CBP will be exploring opportunities to streamline this process with the DMVs; however, this policy will remain the same until further notice," the agency said.

The deployment of updates to the Food and Drug Administration’s PGA message set on May 31 will be a “hard cutover date,” and “the rules are not backwards compatible,” said CBP in a CSMS message sent May 18. “The queues will be stopped at 6am for this deployment,” and “all messages queued upon completion of the deployment will be processed using the new rules,” it said. ACE software developers had been urging CBP to make the changes backward compatible for a month to avoid issues with FDA entries on the May 31 cutover date (see 1605130028).

The shift to ACE and automation marks a large cultural shift within the government and represents a move toward a 21st century supply chain, said Maria Luisa Boyce, CBP’s senior advisor for trade engagement, during a U.S. Chamber of Commerce conference on supply chains. The agency needs to keep nimble even as it deals with challenges of infrastructure and existing processes, she said. The agency's focus is continues to evolve, most recently with the customs reauthorization law, she said.

The Port of New York/Newark provided guidance to filers on how to submit documentation to CBP in light of the ongoing transition to ACE, in an informational pipeline dated May 16. When receiving “Documents Required” or “Intensive” messages after filing an entry in ACE, filers should not submit paper documents, but rather use the Document Imaging System via electronic data interchange (EDI) or email them to docs@cbp.dhs.gov, it said. Remote location filing (RLF) filers submitting ACE entry summaries certified for cargo release must submit their invoices to CBP via DIS, and not the legacy Automated Import Interface (AII), said the pipeline. Filers that receive requests for an entry summary package, or receive a CBP Form 28 or Form 29, may respond via the ACE Portal, DIS via EDI, email, or in paper form, it said.

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

The recently increased $800 de minimis limit is causing a shift in business practices for brokers and importers, and raising questions and concerns over a growing number of low value shipments, said customs brokers and importers in recent interviews. Some in the trade community still await guidance on how to proceed with low-value shipments regulated by agencies other than CBP. There is also some concern the higher limit could cause more importers to break up their shipments to avoid the entry process and associated duties, customs brokers said.