| Title: | January 1: Manifest required for Section 321 truck shipments |
|---|---|
| Date: | 2018-12-12 |
| To: | acep,truck |
| Links: | previous, original, next |
Beginning January 1, 2019 all commercial truck shipments containing Section 321 merchandise will be required to file an advance electronic manifest in accordance to the guidelines specified in the Trade Act of 2002.
Shipments qualifying for Section 321 release were exempt from the electronic manifest filing requirement due to a policy decision made by CBP during the implementation of the Trade Act of 2002.
The rise in eCommerce combined with the increase in the De Minimis value, has resulted in a significant growth in shipments being manifested and released under Section 321.
The lack of an electronic manifest eliminates CBP's ability to conduct a risk assessment or perform advance targeting within the Automated Targeting System (ATS), results in slower processing times and longer wait times.
Beginning November 26, 2018, CBP began a phased approach for non-compliance with conveyances being referred to secondary for processing. Then Starting January 1, 2019, carriers which make no attempt to comply with the electronic manifest requirement may be subject to a monetary penalty ($5000 for the first offence and $10,000 for subsequent offences).
To keep informed about CBP cargo processing systems please subscribe to the Cargo Systems Messaging Service (CSMS) at https://csms.cbp.gov.
In order to file electronic manifests you will need a 4-letter Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC) issued by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA). If you do not already have a SCAC, see the NMFTA website at https://secure.nmfta.org/New/Introduction.aspx.
Once you have a SCAC, there are three ways to file required electronic manifests:
1. Apply for a free ACE Portal carrier account for filing online directly to CBP.
See application information at https://www.cbp.gov/trade/automated/getting-started/portal-applying. The application itself is at
https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2017-May/ACE-Trade-Portal%20Application.pdf.
Because it supports so many different account types, the ACE Portal application form can be confusing. To apply for a carrier account:
If you need additional assistance with completing or filing the application, please contact our ACE Support group at ACE.SUPPORT@cbp.dhs.gov or 866-530-4172.
2. Contract with a third-party software vendor or manifest filing service.
A list of companies that have developed software applications for ACE electronic truck manifest is available at
https://www.cbp.gov/document/guidance/ace-electronic-truck-manifest-software-developers.
3. Develop software to file directly with CBP.
See information at https://www.cbp.gov/trade/automated/getting-started/transmitting-data-cbp-electronic-data-interchange-edi.