CSMS Message: 05-001233

TO : ALL ABI BROKERS.

FROM : SUSAN C MASKELL

SUBJECT : Creation of Automated Commerci

alTE : 10/24/2005

SUBJECT:
CREATION OF AUTOMATED COMMERCIAL ENVIRONMENT (ACE)
NON-PORTAL ACCOUNTS FOR IMPORTERS
---------------------------------

TO ENCOURAGE MAXIMUM PARTICIPATION IN THE PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT
TEST, U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION (CBP) WILL NO LONGER REQUIRE
THAT IMPORTERS FIRST ESTABLISH ACE PORTAL ACCOUNTS IN ORDER TO PAY
ESTIMATED DUTIES AND FEES ON A MONTHLY BASIS AS REQUIRED BY THE FEDERAL
REGISTER NOTICE (FRN) OF FEBRUARY 4, 2004 (SEE 69 FR 5362). CBP WILL
NOW ALLOW THE CREATION OF ACE NON-PORTAL ACCOUNTS FOR IMPORTERS WISHING TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE ACE TEST BUT NOT SEEKING THE BENEFITS OF HAVING AN
ACE PORTAL ACCOUNT.

IMPORTERS WHO ARE CERTIFIED PARTNERS IN THE VOLUNTARY CUSTOMS-TRADE
PARTNERSHIP AGAINST TERRORISM (C-TPAT) PROGRAM AND WHO ARE NOT CURRENT
ACE ACCOUNTS WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE ESTABLISHED AS ACE NON-PORTAL
ACCOUNTS AND ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PERIODIC MONTHLY
STATEMENT TEST. FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS, PLEASE REFER TO 70 FR 61466,
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 24, 2005, WHICH CAN BE FOUND ON THE ACE FEDERAL
REGISTER NOTICES LINK AT WWW.CBP.GOV/MODERNIZATION. THE CREATION
OF ACE NON-PORTAL ACCOUNTS FOR IMPORTERS AND THE AUTOMATIC ACE
NON-PORTAL ACCOUNT PARTICIPATION FOR C-TPAT IMPORTERS WHO ARE
CERTIFIED PARTNERS IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY UPON THE PUBLICATION
OF 70 FR 61466. TO CREATE AN ACE NON-PORTAL ACCOUNT FOR AN IMPORTER,
THE BROKER MUST FIRST ESTABLISH THEIR ACE PORTAL ACCOUNT.

IMPORTERS ARE REMINDED THAT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PERIODIC MONTHLY
STATEMENT TEST, A CONTINUOUS BOND COVERING DUTIES AND FEES MUST BE
IN PLACE. PAYMENT MUST BE EFFECTED VIA AUTOMATED CLEARING HOUSE (ACH)
DEBIT OR ACH CREDIT.

ENTRY/ENTRY SUMMARIES MUST BE FILED VIA THE AUTOMATED BROKER
INTERFACE. ENTRIES NOT ELIGIBLE TO BE PAID ON A PERIODIC MONTHLY
STATEMENT INCLUDE RECONCILIATION ENTRIES (ENTRY TYPE 09), NAFTA DUTY
DEFERRAL ENTRIES (ENTRY TYPE 08) AND ENTRIES REQUIRING THE PAYMENT OF
EXCISE TAX.

THE STEPS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT TEST AS AN
ACE NON-PORTAL ACCOUNT ARE AS FOLLOWS:

I. ACE NON-PORTAL ACCOUNTS FOR CERTIFIED C-TPAT IMPORTERS

A. THE CERTIFIED C-TPAT IMPORTER NOTIFIES THE BROKER THEY
WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT AND
SUPPLIES A LIST OF C-TPAT IMPORTER OF RECORD (IR) NUMBERS.
-- IF THE IMPORTER HAS A CBP ACCOUNT MANAGER, THE IMPORTER
MUST PROVIDE THE BROKER WITH THE CBP ACCOUNT MANAGER'S
NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS.
-- THE IMPORTER MUST PROVIDE THE BROKER WITH A COPY OF THEIR
C-TPAT CERTIFIED LETTER (COPY OF CBP CORRESPONDENCE).

B. THE BROKER DOES THE FOLLOWING:
-- SENDS AN E-MAIL TO PERIODICSTATEMENT@DHS.GOV WITH A LIST
OF THE IMPORTER'S IR NUMBERS THAT WILL BE FLAGGED FOR
PERIODIC MONTLY STATEMENT AND A SCANNED COPY OF THE
C-TPAT CERTIFIED LETTER. THE E-MAIL SUBJECT LINE SHOULD
READ: "ACTIVATION REQUEST".
-- IF APPLICABLE, THE BROKER SENDS A CARBON COPY OF THE
ABOVE REFERENCED E-MAIL NOTIFICATION TO THE IMPORTER'S
CBP ACCOUNT MANAGER.

C. AFTER SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE ABOVE STEPS, CBP WILL SET
THE SWITCH TO ALLOW PARTICIPATION IN PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT.

D. UPON ACTIVATION, AN E-MAIL NOTIFICATION WILL BE SENT TO THE
BROKER WITH A COPY TO THE IMPORTER'S CBP ACCOUNT MANAGER.

E. THE BROKER WILL THEN NOTIFY THE IMPORTER.
WHERE AN IMPORTER USES MULTIPLE BROKERS, THE IMPORTER IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR NOTIFYING ALL APPLICABLE BROKERS THAT THEY HAVE
BEEN ACTIVATED FOR PARTICIPATION IN PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT.

II. ACE NON-PORTAL ACCOUNTS FOR IMPORTERS, NOT C-TPAT CERTIFIED

A. THE NON C-TPAT IMPORTER NOTIFIES THE BROKER THEY WANT TO
PARTICIPATE IN PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT AS A NON-PORTAL
ACCOUNT AND SUPPLIES A LIST OF IR NUMBERS THROUGH THE
CREATION OF A 5106, IMPORTER ID INPUT RECORD.
-- IF THE IMPORTER HAS A CBP ACCOUNT MANAGER, THE IMPORTER
MUST PROVIDE THE BROKER WITH THE CBP ACCOUNT MANAGER'S
NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS.

B. THE BROKER DOES THE FOLLOWING:
-- ENSURES A VALID POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR THE IMPORTER IS ON
FILE.
-- INITIATES A BOND QUERY VIA THE AUTOMATED BROKER INTERFACE
(ABI) TO VERIFY THAT THE SPECIFIC IR NUMBER IS COVERED
BY A VALID CONTINUOUS BOND (CB) ON FILE WITH CBP.
-- COMPARES THE 5106 DATA TO THE DATA RETURNED FROM THE
BOND QUERY.

C. CONSISTENT DATA
-- IF THE BOND DATA RETURNED IS CONSISTENT WITH THE 5106
DATA, THE BROKER SENDS AN E-MAIL TO
PERIODICSTATEMENT@DHS.GOV WITH A LIST OF THE IMPORTER'S
IR NUMBERS THAT WILL BE FLAGGED FOR PERIODIC MONTHLY
STATEMENT ALONG WITH A SCANNED IMAGE OF THE 5106 (S).
THE E-MAIL SUBJECT LINE SHOULD READ: "ACTIVATION REQUEST."
THE TOP OF THE FORM MUST CONTAIN A NOTE INDICATING
"PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT ACTIVATION".

## IF APPLICABLE, THE BROKER SENDS A CARBON COPY OF
THE ABOVE REFERENCED E-MAIL NOTIFICATION TO THE
IMPORTER'S CBP ACCOUNT MANAGER.

## UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE ABOVE STEPS, CBP
WILL SET THE SWITCH TO ALLOW PARTICIPATION IN
PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT.

## UPON ACTIVATION, AN E-MAIL NOTIFICATION WILL BE SENT
TO THE BROKER WITH A COPY TO THE IMPORTER'S CBP
ACCOUNT MANAGER.

## THE BROKER WILL NOTIFY THE IMPORTER.
WHERE AN IMPORTER USES MULTIPLE BROKERS,
THE IMPORTER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR NOTIFYING
ALL APPLICABLE BROKERS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN
ACTIVATED FOR PARTICIPATION IN PERIODIC
MONTHLY STATEMENT.
OR

D. INCONSISTENT DATA

-- IF THE BOND DATA RETURNED IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE
5106 DATA, THE BROKER NOTIFIES THE IMPORTER OF THE
DISCREPANCY.
## IF THE IMPORTER STATES THE 5106 IS CORRECT AND THE
SPECIFIC IR NUMBER IS EITHER THE PRINCIPAL,
CO-PRINCIPAL, OR AN AUTHORIZED USER ON THE CB,
THEN THE IMPORTER MUST SUBMIT THE 5106 AS WELL
AS A BOND RIDER SHOWING THE CORRECT NAME AND
ADDRESS INFORMATION TO THE REVENUE DIVISION,
BOND SECTION.

## CBP WILL NOTIFY THE BROKER WHEN THE UPDATE IS
COMPLETE.

## THE BROKER THEN SENDS AN E-MAIL TO
PERIODICSTATEMENT@DHS.GOV WITH A LIST OF THE
IMPORTER'S IR NUMBERS THAT WILL BE FLAGGED FOR
PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT ALONG WITH A SCANNED
IMAGE OF THE 5106(S). THE E-MAIL SUBJECT LINE
SHOULD READ: "ACTIVATION REQUEST". THE TOP OF
FORM MUST CONTAIN A NOTE INDICATING "PERIODIC
MONTHLY STATEMENT ACTIVATION".

## IF APPLICABLE, THE BROKER SENDS A CARBON COPY OF
THE ABOVE REFERENCED E-MAIL NOTIFICATION TO THE
IMPORTER'S CBP ACCOUNT MANAGER.

## UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE ABOVE STEPS,
CBP WILL SET THE SWTICH TO ALLOW PARTICIPATION
IN PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT.

## UPON ACTIVATION, AN E-MAIL NOTIFICATION WILL BE
SENT TO THE BROKER WITH A COPY TO THE IMPORTER'S
CBP ACCOUNT MANAGER.

## THE BROKER WILL THEN NOTIFY THE IMPORTER.
WHERE AN IMPORTER USES MULTIPLE BROKERS,
IMPORTER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR NOTIFYING ALL
APPLICABLE BROKERS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN
ACTIVATED FOR PARTICIPATION IN PERIODIC
MONTHLY STATEMENT.

IMPORTERS ARE REMINDED THAT IF THEY WISH TO ESTABLISH ACE NON-PORTAL
ACCOUNTS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT PROCESSING
THROUGH THEIR CUSTOMS BROKER, THE BROKER MUST FIRST ESTABLISH AN ACE
PORTAL ACCOUNT. IF THE BROKER IS NOT CURRENTLY AN ACE PORTAL ACCOUNT,
PLEASE DIRECT THE BROKER TO THE ACE APPLICATION INFORMATION LINK AT
WWW.CBP.GOV/MODERNIZATION OR E-MAIL ACENOW@DHS.GOV TO LEARN HOW
TO ENROLL.

IF MORE THAN ONE BROKER ATTEMPTS TO ESTABLISH A NON-PORTAL ACCOUNT ON
BEHALF OF THE IMPORTER AND THE NON-PORTAL ACCOUNT HAS ALREADY BEEN
ESTABLISHED, THE BROKER WILL BE NOTIFIED BY CBP THAT THE SWITCH FOR
THIS IR NUMBER HAS ALREADY BEEN SET TO ALLOW PARTICIPATION IN PERIODIC
MONTHLY STATEMENT.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THESE CHANGES, PLEASE SEND AN
E-MAIL TO PMS.MAILBOX@DHS.GOV.

Referenced By

CSMS #06-000148