Customs and Border Protection website
CBP Announces Pilots for Rail and Sea e-Manifest
Agency and Trade Pilot New Manifest System

(Friday, December 16, 2011)

Washington U.S. Customs and Border Protection today announced that it has been successfully receiving manifests in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) e-Manifest. The pilots, which began in November, focus on transitioning full rail and sea manifest capability to ACE from the legacy system. In addition, CBP announced that thirteen CBP ports have successfully begun accepting and processing sea and rail manifests in ACE.

ACE is part of the CBP modernization process that is essential to facilitating trade and security, speeding the flow of commerce into the country, said Commissioner Alan D. Bersin. The success of these pilots is demonstrative of CBPs continuing commitment to trade automation.

During the pilots, CBP will operate rail and sea manifest in both ACE and the Automated Commercial System (ACS) to allow trade partners ample time to implement the required programming changes prior to the decommissioning of ACS for rail and sea manifest. The pilots also allow for a smooth data transition from the legacy system.

CBP plans to announce the decommissioning of the legacy system for rail and sea manifest through the Federal Register after the successful completion of the test and the acceptance of ACE as the replacement system for rail and sea manifests. The notice will commence a six-month timeframe in which ACE will become the only CBP-approved electronic data interchange through which rail and sea manifests may be transmitted.

The Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) is a multi-year project to modernize the business processes essential to securing U.S. borders, speeding the flow of legitimate shipments, and targeting illicit goods. ACE is a key part of CBPs layered defense to facilitate trade and border security.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

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