Details of CBP’s Request for Applicants for M1 Pilot (e-Manifest: Ocean and Rail)

CBP's notice provides a description of the test process, opens the application period for participation, invites public comments, etc. Additionally, the notice advises the public that shortly after the successful completion of the test, CBP intends to publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing that ACE will be the only CBP-approved electronic data interchange (EDI) for submitting advance ocean and rail data.

CBP Seeks Applications for Test, Will Commence No Earlier than Dec 22

CBP will start accepting participant applications on October 20, 2010. Selected applicants will be notified by CBP and will then undergo a certification process to be followed by active testing. The test will commence no earlier than December 22, 2010 and will run for no less than 90 days.

Once the initial group of participants has demonstrated the capability to operate in ACE in the active test stage, CBP intends to expand the number of test participants until all interested ocean and rail transmitters are participating in the test. Throughout the test, CBP will maintain communication with the participants in order to receive comments, address issues, and measure the functionality of ACE.

Comments concerning this notice and all aspects of the announced test may be submitted at any time during the test period.

Data to be Submitted Includes Advance Cargo Info, 10+2 Required Info

The ocean and rail data that will be transmitted to ACE includes the advance cargo information required by section 343 of the Trade Act of 2002¹, as amended by the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, and the advance data ocean carriers are required to provide pursuant to the importer security filing and additional carrier requirements interim final rule (10+2). Currently, this information is required to be transmitted via ACS in advance of arrival through a CBP-approved EDI.²

Upon Commencement of Test, ACE will be System of Record for Participants

For test participants, ACE will replace ACS as the system of record for ocean and rail data at all ports upon commencement of the test. As such, the creation and maintenance of specified data elements will originate in ACE and will be distributed to other CBP systems.

CBP Seeks Ocean & Rail Carriers, ABI Filers, ISF Filers as Test Participants

Test participants will be chosen based on the selection criteria established by CBP and will be notified directly if they are chosen to participate in the initial test.

CBP has selected its criteria for test participants to include each type of current transmitter of required advance data for ocean and rail and each type of AMS or ABI-compatible software during the test to ensure compatibility with ACE. Specifically, CBP is looking for test participants to include:

• 2 - 3 Ocean Carriers. At least one must be filing manifests and transmitting unified manifest/ISF data using X12 and one must be using CAMIR message formats. Carrier applicants must also be submitting stow plans via BAPLIE (UN/EDIFACT).
• 2 Service Centers. One using X12 message formats and one using CAMIR message formats. Each service center must have at least one client filing manifests and transmitting unified manifest/ISF data and who is also submitting stow plans via BAPLIE (UN/EDIFACT).
• 1 Port Authority. Preferably one that both sends and receives data.
• 2 Terminal Operators. One using X12 message formats and one using CAMIR message formats.
• 2 - 3 Rail Carriers. At least one from the Northern Border and one from the Southern Border.
• 1 - 2 ABI filers. Currently filing the following information electronically: in-bond applications (ABI Applications, commonly known as “QP/WP”), Bill of Lading Update (ABI Application “LN”), and Cargo/Manifest Status Query (ABI Application “IN”) transactions and processing Broker Download (ABI Application “BD”) and Status Notifications (ABI Application “NS”).
• 2 - 3 stand-alone ISF filers. This will ensure that both X12 and CAMIR message formats are represented.

Additional eligibility requirements include:

• Current AMS EDI transmitter. Participant must be a current AMS EDI transmitter for ocean or rail modes of transportation using ANSI X12 or the CAMIR interfaces or an ABI transmitter using the CATAIR interface for in-bond transactions (QP/WP);
• Have/will establish ACE portal. Participant must have, or agree to establish, an ACE Secure Data Portal account; and
• Have software ready. Participant must have their software ready to test with CBP once CBP begins the certification process.

CBP will post the appropriate standards needed to enable each specific type of AMS or ABI-compatible software to work with ACE on its website approximately 90 days prior to the start of the active test stage.

Participants Will Receive New Functionality and Retain All Current Functionality

New ACE functionality. Test recipients will receive the following new functionalities, which will be available through ACE:

• Broker Download - the broker download functionality, currently available for rail transportation, will be available for ocean transportation as well. The broker download process allows for the EDI conversion of the carrier bill of lading that CBP receives in advance of shipment arrival into the CATAIR record format used by participants in the CBP ABI application. ACE will send the ABI formatted bill of lading to the customs broker designated in the bill of lading. The broker download serves as an electronic “notification” for the broker that a shipment is incoming. This will expedite the cargo clearance process at the port of arrival.
• Holds at the Container Level - CBP will have the ability to place and remove holds at the container level. This will allow one container to be held and the balance of the containers on the bill of lading to be moved to the premises of the importer pending final delivery authorization from CBP.
• Expansion of Shipment Status Disposition Codes - The shipment status disposition code will be expanded to three positions to accommodate the participation of additional federal agencies that will use ACE under the International Trade Data System (ITDS) initiative of the ACE project. The expansion to three positions will not be part of the initial commencement of this test, but will occur sometime thereafter. The expansion will be communicated to CBP trade partners well in advance through CSMS, publication of implementation guides on CBP’s website, and outreach through trade associations and liaison groups.
• Enhanced Transaction Sets - The migration to the new ACE system will require changes to the EDI transaction sets that are used between CBP and the trade to send and receive cargo data and shipment status notifications. These changes will allow CBP to provide significantly more discrete and specific error messages that will allow the transmitter to quickly amend and resubmit. Error messages may be provided for multiple lines and specifically identify sections of submissions containing errors. Standardized system edits will be added to reduce the amount of customized coding that was previously required. All updated transaction sets will be posted to CBP’s website. Information regarding any changes to the ocean and/or rail manifest transaction sets will also be communicated via CSMS.
• Conveyance Maintenance for Ocean Carriers. Ocean portal carrier account users will have the ability to create and maintain vessel data via the portal using portal input screens and/or using the Excel spreadsheet upload capability. Ocean portal carrier account users will also have the ability to download their vessel data into the Excel spreadsheet.
• Custodial Bond Authorization and Verification. The bond authorization capability will be managed by the principal of the custodial bond (i.e., the bonded carrier) to cover the movement of in-bond cargo between CBP ports of entry. Via the ACE Portal, the bond principal will be able to designate (by either the SCAC or ABI Filer code) those entities that are authorized to obligate the bond principal’s custodial bond. A date range for this authorization will also be available. Additionally, the bond principal will be able to set one of two levels of authorization: All Ports or Specific Ports. (See notice for additional details on the bond authorization capability.)
• Report Capability. Ocean and rail portal carrier account users will have the ability to run various standard bill of lading, in-bond, manifest, and equipment reports. Carrier account users will also be able to modify standard reports as well as create customized reports from scratch. Reports can be saved to a “Shared Folder” for use by others within the account.

Current ACS functionality. Test participants will retain all of the existing functionality currently available through ACS, including the capability to:

• Submit ocean bills of lading and rail preliminary and transit bills of lading;
• Report conveyance itinerary for ocean and rail conveyances;
• Process conveyance arrivals and departures for ocean and rail;
• Process in-bond arrivals and exports;
• Process consist information for rail;
• Process general order transactions;
• Manage holds on bills of lading, conveyances, in-bond moves, empty equipment;
• Report Freight Remaining On Board;
• Process automated line release for rail cargo;
• Process permit to transfer requests;
• Submit Bio-Terrorism Act prior notification data for the Food and Drug Administration;
• Receive general order, overdue for arrival or export in-bond advisories;
• Share status notifications with other trade partners;
• Process transfer of liability requests between bonded carriers;
• Request that bill of lading data be sent to entry filers to expedite cargo clearance;
• Receive entry advisories in advance of arrival;
• Add secondary in-bond movements;
• Receive shipment status advice from other Federal agencies; and
• Submit vessel stowage plans.

Full Transition to e-Manifest: Ocean and Rail Expected After March 22, 2011

CBP’s ultimate goal is the full transition of ocean and rail data transmission to ACE. This transition will occur no earlier than March 22, 2011 and will be announced in the Federal Register.

¹Mandatory advanced electronic information for cargo and other improved Customs reporting procedures.

²Currently, this information is required to be transmitted via the Automated Commercial System (ACS) in advance of arrival through a CBP-approved EDI. For ocean and rail carriers, the CBP-approved EDI is the Automated Manifest System (AMS). Ocean carriers use Vessel AMS and rail carriers use Rail AMS and the data is transmitted using one of the following AMS-compatible software data standards: ANSI X12, CAMIR, UN/EDIFACT, or BAPLIE. Brokers submitting the advance data required by 10+2 currently use the Automated Broker Interface (ABI)-compatible software data standard known as CATAIR.

(See ITT’s Online Archives or 10/19/10 news, 10101916, for previous BP summary announcing that CBP is seeking applications for the M1 pilot.

See ITT’s Online Archives or 09/13/10 news, 10091312, for BP summary of CBP discussing M1 at the August 2010 COAC meeting.

See ITT’s Online Archives or 08/10/10 news, 10081012, for BP summary of CBP detailing the M1 pilot at the July 2010 CESAC Plenary session.)

CBP CSMS message #10-000245 announcing the availability of this FR notice is available here.