CBP Working with PGAs and Trade on Automated Export Manifest
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other officials have discussed the agency's plans to automate the export process at the October 4, 2011 COAC1 meeting and the September and October Trade Support Network (TSN) monthly committee meetings. During the events, officials stated that in order to bring export filing into ACE, CBP has been working with Participating Government Agencies and the trade community to develop user requirements for an automated export manifest in each transport mode. CBP is also working on an interim export manifest as a paperless solution for the ocean mode.
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(In its November 2011 ACE update, CBP stated it is planning to establish the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) as the single processing platform for all export manifest, commodity, licensing, and export control transactions to keep in line with the National Export Initiative (NEI) and the Export Control Reform initiative. CBP plans to establish an interface between the Census' Automated Export System (AES) and the ACE platform to allow CBP and PGAs to access export control and licensing information required for processing and releasing export shipments in all modes of transportation.)
The following are highlights of discussions at the COAC and TSN meetings on automating the export process:
CBP Is Examining PGA Needs for Single Export Platform in ACE
CBP officials stated that the agency is examining ITDS agencies’ export requirements in order to create a single export processing platform within ACE that will maintain the current export commodity reporting capability and store the data in ACE/ITDS for authorized agencies and industry to retrieve in a secure environment.
Officials anticipated that work would commence on bringing export filing into ACE by the end of 2011 and that an aggressive timetable would be set for project completion.
(See ITT's Online Archives 11110103 for summary of CBP officials discussing ACE and export processing at the October 4 COAC meeting. Minutes to the October 4, 2011 COAC meeting are available here.)
CBP Has Funding to Begin Development of Automated Export Manifest
CBP already has funding to begin development of an automated export manifest. Its initial goal is to focus on the basic requirements needed to build the export manifest and then to focus on enhancements after the initial build.
The baseline document for developing the export manifest will be the CBP Automated Export Requirements Document (Public Version), dated January 19, 2011. This document laid out the background and high level requirements (trade and PGA), for an export manifest that CBP will build on going forward. The document also addressed links to commodity data currently filed in AES and the export license and control information filed per authority of other government agencies.
TSN Met with Rail & Ocean Carriers, Will Draft Requirements for Each Mode
The TSN Multi-Modal Manifest (MMM) Committee has met with rail and ocean carriers and is meeting with other specific carrier groups (i.e., NVOCCs, etc.) to draft requirements for the export manifest and initiate the development process. CBP plans to work with each mode of transportation to develop their requirements. Each mode will have their own Implementation Guides (IGs) using existing IGs to build the system.
CBP Waiting for Contract Team to Start Requirements Process
The trade requirements that were developed by the Export, ITDS, and MMM committees over the years need review and are being documented for re-validation by the joint committees. CBP does not have a definite timeline for beginning the requirement development process as the agency is awaiting determination of a contract team that will facilitate the requirement development process (similar to what was done for cargo release).
Once the contract team is in place, CBP will begin working with the trade committees and PGAs to begin the user requirement revalidation process and delete, update, and/or add user requirements.
Interim Solution Would Allow Ocean Manifest to be Emailed to Customs
The MMM committee is working with CBP's Targeting and Analysis Systems Program Office (TASPO) and ocean carriers to deliver a paperless export manifest product to suffice as a solution in the near term.
According to the MMM committee, an interim solution is taking shape whereby export manifest-filers may be able to attach their export manifest to an email sent to Customs. This interim solution, if finalized, would remove the necessity of filing paper manifest for every export vessel and would deliver significant cost benefits to carriers and CBP.
(See ITT's Online Archives 11111801 and 11110918 for summaries of CBP's Simplified Entry tests for the air transportation mode. See ITT's Online Archives 11111016 for summary of CBP's plans for a Simplified Entry test for the ocean and rail modes in 2012.)
1Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (COAC).
TSN September 2011 Committee Report is available here.
TSN October 2011 Committee Report is available here.