Automated Commercial Environment (ACE)

All continuous or term Airport Security bonds must be submitted to the Revenue Division Bond Team, CBP.BONDQUESTIONS@DHS.GOV, in order to be processed into the Automated Commercial Environment, said CBP in a CSMS message. An Airport Security bond is not considered valid until it has been reviewed and processed into ACE by the Revenue Division Bond Team, the agency said. If the Airport Security Bond is filed using the CBP Form 301, it is considered a continuous bond and if the Airport Security Bond is filed using the CFR 19, part 113, Appendix A language, the bond is considered a term bond, which has beginning and ending dates.

CBP posted a lengthy ACE 101 update and primer/information sheet on the Automated Commercial Environment on its website (here). It says about 21,000 ACE portal accounts have been established, more than 65 percent of all duties and fees are being collected via monthly statement in ACE, and 29 PGAs are currently using ACE. It also said the most common entry types, representing 99 percent of all entries filed, can be filed via ACE. There are currently 125 downloadable reports available via ACE, CBP said.

CBP posted a timeline for planned capabilities for the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). Plans for 2013 include:

Trade associations focused on customs and other importer issues spent relatively little in Q4 of 2012, according to public lobbying records. Several groups that are heavily involved in policy-making for customs issues don't spend nearly as much as some of the major companies that are involved in the issues, the records show. For instance, the American Association for Exporters and Importers (AAEI) and the U.S. Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel (USA-ITA) combined spent less than $10,000 for lobbying in Q4, the records show. Lobbying toward improved enforcement for antidumping/countervailing duties (AD/CVD) was among the issues that gained in attention, the filings show.

CBP provided a broad outline of the agency's goals for progress on the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). The agency will be especially focused on Automated Corrections/Deletions; the Partner Government Agency (PGA) Message Set; and the first phase of Initial Entry Summary edits.

CBP posted an Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Resource Contact Guide, which lists ACE topics and the appropriate e-mail address or phone number to contact for questions on those topics, as well as hours of operation. CBP also posted information on activating an ACE account (here).

CBP posted a slightly updated “Guidance for Certificates of Reimbursement” for antidumping (AD) duties that gives information on protests, the option for paperless filing using the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), and provides additional information regarding blanket certificates, related parties, deemed liquidations, and certificates for companion countervailing (CV) duties. The new version makes clear paper certificates are still acceptable. The update adds to the significant revisions CBP made to the guidance in March.

LAS VEGAS -- CBP is moving toward testing the preinspection of cargo that would eliminate the need for going through a port of entry, said CBP Chief Operating Officer Tom Winkowski. That testing, which will go on in New Mexico, is one part of working toward a major reduction in transaction costs at the U.S. border that will be an important step in keeping the country competitive with other rapidly growing nations, Winkowski said Jan. 8 at the CES Government conference. Winkowski didn’t say when the testing might begin.

CBP provided new online access to the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) secure data portal account owner designation/authorization form. The online fillable form is (here).

CBP added numerous new capabilities to the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) this year, including the ability for sureties to maintain their power of attorney using an ID number, the agency said in its ACE Trade Account Owner (TAO) update for November and December. The TAO includes a list of features added to ACE this year.