U.S. Customs and Border Protection is notifying ABI filers that new PGA Manifest Hold functionality is expected to be added to the Cargo Release Entry System (moved to production) in 90 days. This new functionality will accommodate the ACE M1 Multi Modal Manifest (MMM) System for Ocean and Rail.
Broker Power is providing readers with some of the top stories for December 12-16, 2011 in case they were missed last week.
The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America has issued a White Paper on the need for customs brokers to transition to ACE now, saying "it's necessary, it's desirable, and it's urgent." NCBFAA's Board believes that it is no longer a question of whether to migrate to ACE, but when, and states that it is not feasible to wait for ACE to be finished before attempting to use it, nor is it plausible to rely on it being abandoned. While much work remains to be done, CBP has recently begun to show good progress and has adopted essentially all of the recommendations for functional development outlined in the initial NCBFAA White Papers. It is time for the brokerage industry to support that development and accept the inevitable.
On December 16-17, 2011, the House and Senate agreed to the conference report on H.R. 2055, a bill to provide appropriations for most federal government agencies1 for the remainder of fiscal year 2012, including the DHS (which includes CBP, ICE, and TSA). Although H.R. 2055 contains $11.7 billion for CBP, an increase of $362 million over the FY 2011 level, FY 2012 funding would be reduced for automation modernization, international cargo screening, C-TPAT, etc. (Note that some press reports suggest that the President wants an agreement on the payroll tax cut before he will sign H.R. 2055 into law.)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted its monthly Automated Commercial Environment Updates for December 2011. With this update, CBP lists new statistics on the growing number of ACE Secure Data Portal trade user accounts and the growing size of revenue collected via Periodic Monthly Statement (PMS). The number of approved entities authorized to file ACE entry summaries using the Automated Broker Interface (ABI) has also grown to 54 entities, with more than 710,959 ACE entry summaries having been filed since functionality was introduced in April 2009.
At the December 7, 2011 COAC meeting, COAC discussed the goals of its Bond Subcommittee, such as working with CBP to develop guidelines for the new CBP Form 301, the use of which is required January 1, 2012, and providing input into CBP’s plans to centralize single transaction bonds (STBs).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted an updated version of its spreadsheet of ACE ESAR A2.2 (Initial Entry Types) programming issues.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a fact sheet inviting importers to take part in the many advantages of establishing an ACE portal account. Benefits of an importer ACE portal account include access to numerous reports, improved communications with CBP and a consolidated management approach facilitated by the tracking of import activity in a single, comprehensive, account based view.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a fact sheet inviting sureties to create and maintain a free Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Secure Data Portal account and utilize the numerous ACE reports that are available. CBP states that a surety with a portal account can view and update their account data, including company information (e.g., physical address, mailing address, service of process address and points of contact). The Trade Account Owner (TAO) for the surety account type will also be able to create and maintain a current listing of their corporate surety powers of attorney (CSPOA).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a fact sheet inviting customs brokers to create and maintain a free Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Secure Data Portal account and utilize the numerous ACE reports that are available. CBP states that an ACE portal account provides brokers with the ability to obtain monthly statements, make payments on behalf of their ACE and non-ACE clients, communicate with CBP, and track import activity in a single, comprehensive, account-based view.