U.S. Customs and Border Protection is requesting comments by February 17, 2012 on a proposed Document/Payment Transmittal form for ACE entry summaries, which is part of its information collection request for CBP Form 7501. CBP had previously announced its intent to extend the expiration date of its CBP Form 7501 information collection with a change to the burden hours. CBP is now proposing to add this new Document/Payment Transmittal form and is reopening the comment period for an additional 30 days.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have issued the following news releases related to commercial trade and related issues:
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages posted to U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Web site as of January 18, 2012, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. These messages are available by searching on the listed CBP message number at http://addcvd.cbp.gov.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is advising the public that a draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) for Low Energy X-Ray Inspection Systems (LEXRIS) at CBP operational areas has been prepared and is available for public review. The draft PEA analyzes the potential environmental impacts due to the deployment and use of LEXRIS. CBP seeks public comment on the draft PEA by February 17, 2012 and will consider comments before issuing a final PEA. (The purpose of deploying and operating LEXRIS is to non-intrusively scan vehicles for the presence of contraband, including weapons of mass destruction, explosives, and illicit drugs. CBP says that use of LEXRIS at U.S. ports of entry, for example, directly supports its mission of securing the U.S. borders and homeland from terrorists and other threats while simultaneously facilitating legitimate trade and travel by assisting CBP personnel in preventing contraband, including illegal drugs and terrorist weapons, from entering the U.S.)
The Port of Long Beach reports that containerized cargo traffic remained relatively flat in 2011 due to the departure of one of its seven tenants, California United Terminals, which accounted for roughly a tenth of the Port's overall container traffic. Adjusting for CUT's departure, POLB states that the remaining six container terminals saw a gain of 8.1 percent in 2011. POLB also states that during 2011 Imports were up 10.1 percent and exports climbed 7.8 percent.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued CSMS Message #12-000011 announcing that phone lines for the Detroit Client Reps have been restored. Client reps can be reached at the following numbers and email addresses:
CBP has posted an updated version of its Public Automated Commercial System FIRMS (Facilities Information and Resources Management Systems) report that is organized by port code and alphabetically by company name.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a January 9, 2012 version of its CF 1400 (Record of Vessel in Foreign Trade Entrances) electronic query report of the Vessel Management System (VMS), in accordance with 19 CFR 4.95, organized by entrances. CBP has also posted a December 12, 2011 version of its CF 1401 (Record of Vessel in Foreign Trade Clearances) electronic query report of the VMS, in accordance with 19 CFR 4.95, organized by clearances.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted presentation slides on its "Trade Transformation" initiatives for 21st century trade. Within the slides, CBP states that it seeks to improve cargo security while increasing trade competitiveness by fully aggregating risk management. This will be accomplished by leveraging end-to-end visibility of accounts that captures a holistic view of the global supply chain. CBP also outlines how it will accomplish this through its BEST goals: (1) Better Targeting; (2) Expedite Trade; (4) Segment Risk; (5) and Transaction Savings and through its various trade initiatives. These initiatives include Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS), Importer Security Filing (ISF), Simplified Entry/summary, ACE, Centers of Excellence and Expertise (CEE), and the role of the broker. CBP also maps out the supply chain for each mode of transportation and ACE.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued CSMS Message #12-000007 announcing that it has conclusively determined that recently released Microsoft Internet Explorer version 8 security patch KB2585542 is not compatible with the current ACE application, and is affecting response times in the ACE Portal. If users have recently implemented the new Microsoft patch and are experiencing slow response times, CBP recommends that they remove the patch to use their ACE Portal accounts. CBP continues to investigate this issue and will provide additional information when available.