Background

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has added some functionality to its Automated Commercial Environment deployment schedule, delayed the deployment of some other functions, and confirmed the deployment of still others.

ACE functionality, including data reports, can help importers and others boost compliance and duty savings efforts. For more information, please contact Lenny Feldman at (305) 894-1011.

Agriculture. Sept. 26 is the new deployment date for (1) enhancements to the agricultural program trade liaison workspace within the International Trade Data System to better communicate with the Department of Agriculture’s agricultural risk management system and (2) functionality to automate the process for submitting phytosanitary and veterinary health certificates issued by national plant protection organizations.

Automated Surety Interface. CBP has pushed back from Oct. 10 to Oct. 24 the deployment of functionality providing additional cargo release and entry summary information in real time to sureties and surety agents via the bond status message when a predefined event occurs.

Bill of lading. CBP still plans to deploy, but has not yet scheduled, functionality to release ocean cargo at the lowest shipment level.

Broker Fees. CBP newly plans to deploy in November an enhancement to automate the collection of user fees, including triennial and customs broker exam fees. CBP is also still awaiting the issuance of final regulations to transition all brokers to a single national permit, which would eliminate multiple district permits and waivers. Proposed regulations were issued June 5.

Collections. CBP has solidified plans to deploy functionality providing (1) additional electronic payment processing options for users (January 2021) and (2) a consolidated billing period with each user’s deferred tax entries listed (April 2021).

Craft Beverages. CBP has pushed back from November to winter 2020/2021 the deployment of functionality reflecting the Craft Beverage Modernization Act that will (1) reduce rates or credits on 92 HTSUS Chapter 22 numbers and (2) include the ability to compute and validate the tax amount, view/edit tax data on entry summaries via the ACE portal, and make data available for data warehouse reporting.

eCERT/ELVIS. CBP now plans a Sept. 12 deployment of functionality to exchange electronically with foreign countries data normally associated with a required export document. Enhancements will allow for additional messaging capabilities with countries, added validations, and ease of onboarding new countries. CBP has postponed indefinitely eCERT onboarding for Mexico and Canada.

Foreign-Trade Zones. CBP has set Sept. 26 as the date it will deploy improvements to better facilitate the e214 online FTZ admission process and eliminate older, inefficient processes.

FWS Message Set. All filers currently have the option to file in ACE data required by the Fish and Wildlife Service for imports and exports of foreign fish, wildlife, and plants. For those filers ready to file the FWS message set data in ACE, CBP recommends that they do so. However, the FWS has delayed implementation of the FWS message set in ACE while it formulates regulations requiring the utilization of ACE to submit import data for FWS-regulated commodities. This requirement is expected to become mandatory in January 2021.

Manifests. CBP has announced phase 2 and 3 enhancements to complete modernization of the ACE truck manifest, planned for summer/fall 2021.

USMCA. CBP has pushed back from fall 2020 to winter 2020/2021 the deployment of USMCA-related functionality for drawback.

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