U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued the following update regarding the status of pilot tests that participating government agencies are conducting with respect to the ongoing transition to the Automated Commercial Environment. CBP notes that all of the below pilots are open to all filers except the one being conducted by the Agricultural Marketing Service.
Agency | Pilot Status |
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (Lacey Act) | concluded and mandatory in ACE as of March 31 |
Food and Drug Administration | concluded May 2; mandatory in ACE as of June 15; proposed rule published July 1 |
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | Concluded and mandatory in ACE as of March 31 |
APHIS (core) | to conclude Aug. 15; expected to become mandatory in ACE early this fall |
Directorate of Defense Trade Controls | import license decrementing pilot is open and ongoing and import totals are returned on the next export transaction (at this time) | |
Food Safety and Inspection Service | ongoing; conclusion notice expected but FSIS continues onboarding filers using the FSIS PGA message set in ACE, which is open to all filers |
National Marine Fisheries Service | working on conclusion notice and final rule to allow for electronic filing of NMFS data elements; intends to be mandatory in ACE in late August or September |
Agricultural Marketing Service | ongoing with limited number of filers and ports, will continue until publication of final rule; AMS anticipates accelerated expansion if pilot continues successfully and no issues are uncovered to delay it |
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms | ongoing; closing notice expected by Aug. 31 |
Environmental Protection Agency (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act) | ongoing, opened to all filers on July 6, will continue until publication of final rule |
EPA (Toxic Substances Control Act) | ongoing; will continue until publication of final rule (proposed rule is pending publication) |
EPA (vehicles and engines) | separate pilots for on-road and off-road; will continue until publication of final rule |
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau | will continue until publication of final rule (proposed rule published June 21); pilot being expanded and more importers encouraged to participate |
Consumer Product Safety Commission | began in July and will continue throughout part of 2017 |
Drug Enforcement Administration | began Aug. 1 |
Fish and Wildlife Service | began July 27, proposed rule pending publication |
State Dept. Office of Marine Conservation | pending; announced June 15 |