CBP released a new version of its ACE Entry Summary business rules and processes document with changes to most sections. Version 9.0 includes major revisions to the entire document, including completely rewritten sections on entry summary transmission, record creation, cancellation, manual entry summaries and notifications, according to the change log. Other sections with significant changes include revisions to sections on liquidation, reconciliation and drawback to reflect recently implemented changes to reflect new processes under ACE post-release deployments and the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015.
CBP issued the following release on commercial trade and related matters:
The Trump administration looks set to continue its focus on deregulation, judging by its recently released Spring 2018 unified regulatory agenda. Regulatory agencies with a hand in trade laid out their plans to harmonize and streamline regulatory requirements, including on Lacey Act implementation, a modernized seafood inspection program and an update to Toxic Substances Control Act chemical data reporting requirements. On the other hand, regulatory plans also include enforcement measures, including procedures for Commerce scope rulings during CBP investigations of antidumping and countervailing duty evasion and increased oversight over organic imports.
CBP has not received word from any other partner government agencies (PGAs) that they intend to make their ACE filing requirements mandatory in 2018, a CBP official said on the agency’s biweekly ACE call held May 10. The official spoke in response to a question on whether any more PGAs will become mandatory by the end of the year, focusing on Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) “core” requirements in particular. The CBP official cautioned that, while CBP hasn’t heard anything to her knowledge, it doesn’t mean PGAs can’t in the future notify the agency of their intent to become mandatory.
CBP will update ACE with new cargo release status messages on May 31 in support of absolute quota, the agency said in an information notice. Goods "subject to absolute quota will be held in a Quota Pending status until the Quota batch job runs each evening," the agency said. "Once the batch job has completed Quota will be allocated and statuses will be updated. Details related to specific timing of the batch job and the Quota Pending Status will be published once available." Currently, absolute quotas apply only to imports of steel from South Korea, though similar quotas will eventually apply to steel and aluminum from Argentina and steel from Brazil (see 1805020037). Other countries may also eventually be subject to quotas. CBP plans to publish a guide on the quota changes in ACE the morning of May 11, an agency official said on CBP's May 10 biweekly ACE call.
The Treasury Department published its spring 2018 regulatory agenda for CBP. The agenda includes two new rulemakings, one involving the prohibition on imports made through forced labor and another on intellectual property rights. The forced labor proposal, expected by August, would "would generally bring the forced labor regulations and detention procedures into alignment with other statutes, regulations and procedures that apply to the enforcement of restrictions against other types of prohibited merchandise," it said. The IPR rulemaking, expected by August, would "create a procedure for the disclosure of information otherwise protected by the Trade Secrets Act to a trademark owner when merchandise bearing suspected counterfeit trademarks has been voluntarily abandoned."
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
Immigration issues dominated an appropriations hearing for the Department of Homeland Security, but DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said she also wanted to touch quickly on trade. More money is needed to "keep foreign adversaries from stealing our intellectual property" and to enforce trade laws, she said. In prepared testimony that she did not read during the hearing, she said the president's budget "includes funding to enhance the Automated Commercial Environment and to put more attention on high-risk imports while facilitating smaller, legitimate shipments more quickly. The request also includes funding for additional attorneys, trade specialists, and financial specialists to provide adequate support for trade facilitation and enforcement activities."
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for April 30 - May 4 in case they were missed.
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- The completion of "core" ACE was a proud moment for Brenda Smith, CBP executive assistant commissioner-trade, but she's aware of the remaining needs for the system, she said during a May 2 speech at the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America's annual conference. "I know we're not done," she said. "Let me say that again. I know we're not done."