CBP Names Those Chosen for ACE Simplified Entry Test, to Begin in Jan
At the December 7, 2011 COAC meeting, CBP officials provided an update on the status of the planned test of Automated Commercial Environment Simplified Entry (SE) in the air environment. Officials stated that CBP’s target date for the first SE filing is late January 2012. CBP also plans to test SE in the ocean and rail environments after M1 is deployed and hopes to soon include additional complexities (PGA entries, etc.) in the test.
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(In November 2011, CBP announced plans to conduct a test of Automated Commercial Environment Simplified Entry (SE) capability and solicited volunteer participants. SE involves the submission of 12 data elements, with an additional three data elements being optional, in lieu of the CBP form 3461 electronic information (which consists of 27 data elements).
Nine Brokers Selected as Test Participants
According to CBP, 43 companies applied to participate in the SE test and nine were selected. All nine companies selected were brokers (3 small, 3 medium-sized, and 3 large, representing a variety of geographic locations and commodities). The brokers selected are:
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Several Importers Volunteer to Have Entries Filed in Test
CBP notes that while it selected only brokers to participate in the test, the test will also involve associated stakeholders, such as importers and software vendors. Associated with the nine broker participants, several importers identified themselves as wanting to have their entries filed through the SE test, including:
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Target for First SE Filing is End of January 2012
CBP officials told COAC that their target for robust system testing of the SE entry process is January 2012. CBP’s target for the first SE filing is the end of January 2012.
SE Test in Ocean, Rail Modes to Wait Until After M1 is Deployed
CBP states that it has initially focused the SE test on the air mode and will not be testing SE in the ocean or rail environments until after M1 (e-Manifest: Rail and Sea) has been deployed. According to documents prepared for the COAC meeting, CBP plans to deploy pilots in the ocean and rail environments 60-90 days after M1 deployment. (CBP said that M1 is currently scheduled to be deployed in March 2012). CBP officials noted that they need to have further discussions with the trade on testing simplified entry in the truck environment.
COAC Subcommittee Urges Additional Discussions with Trade Prior to Expansion
In its report for the COAC meeting, COAC’s Trade Facilitation Subcommittee suggested that it is important that prior to CBP implementing SE in additional modes, detailed discussion take place to understand the impact on importers, carriers, brokers and other participants. The Subcommittee also states that it is important to articulate/gain support for a plan to continue working on the simplified release process (i.e. additional phases).
(See ITT’s Online Archives 11120503 for summary of CBP’s selection of nine participants for SE test.
See ITT’s Online Archives 11120515 for summary comparing the CBP Form 3461 and ISF with SE data.
See ITT’s Online Archives 11111801 for summary of the SE pilot which states that the SE test will seek “best available “ data that can be updated later, exclude OGA entries for now, an provide an earlier release decision.
See ITT’s Online Archives 11110918 for summary of CBP’s test announcement which lists the requirements for test participation (such as brokers having to be C-TPAT certified.)
COAC Trade Facilitation Subcommittee’s issue paper on Simplified Entry available here
COAC Trade Facilitation Subcommittee recommendations for Simplified Entry and Payment available here