CSMS Message: 93-000965

ATTENTION ALL ABI FILERS:

UNITED STATES CUSTOMS AND THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (FWS) HAVE
COMPLETED THE PILOT TESTING AND EXPANSION OF AN ELECTRONIC INTERFACE. THE
PILOT BEGAN IN NEW YORK ON OCTOBER 29, 1990. AFTER A FEW CHANGES AND
ENHANCEMENTS TO THE SYSTEM, THE PILOT WAS EXPANDED TO NINE ADDITIONAL FWS
PORTS BEGINNING JULY 31, 1992 AND ENDING AUGUST 30, 1993.

ACCORDING TO CUSTOMS DIRECTIVE 3530-05 ISSUED JULY 16, 1991, SUPERSEDED
BY CUSTOMS DIRECTIVE 099 3530-008 DATED FEBRUARY 24, 1993, PARTICIPATION
BY THE ABI FILER IN THE PILOT PORT IS MANDATORY. PARTICIPATION IN THE
EXPANSION PORTS IS VOLUNTARY AT THE AUTOMATED FILER LEVEL UP TO ONE YEAR
AFTER THE LAST PLANNED EXPANSION PORT BEGINS OPERATION. BECAUSE OPERATION
BEGAN AUGUST 30, 1993 IN HONOLULU, WHICH IS THE LAST PLANNED EXPANSION
PORT, PARTICIPATION IN THE FWS INTERFACE WILL BECOME MANDATORY FOR ALL
AUTOMATED FILERS ON MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 1994. AT THAT TIME, ENTRIES
CERTIFIED FOR CARGO RELEASE THROUGH CUSTOMS AUTOMATED COMMERCIAL SYSTEM
AND HAVING TARIFF NUMBERS REGULATED BY FWS MUST CONTAIN COMPLETE AND VALID
FWS DATA. UNCORRECTED ENTRIES CONTAINING INVALID, INCOMPLETE OR MISSING
DATA WILL BE REJECTED BY THE AUTOMATED SYSTEM. ABI FILERS MAY CONTINUE TO
CHOOSE TO SUBMIT ENTRIES TO CUSTOMS AND FWS MANUALLY SHOULD CIRCUMSTANCES
WARRANT.

AT THE TIME THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WAS SIGNED BY CUSTOMS AND THE
FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, THERE WERE TEN DESIGNATED FWS PORTS. SINCE
THEN, THE PORT OF BALTIMORE HAS BECOME A DESIGNATED FWS PORT.IT IS LIKELY
THE PORT OF BOSTON WILL BECOME A DESIGNATED PORT WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR. IN
ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE AUTOMATED FILERS AT PORTS THAT BECOME DESIGNATED
OTHER AGENCY PORTS AFTER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN INTERFACE WITH ANOTHER
GOVERNMENT AGENCY, AND TO ACCOMMMODATE OTHER AGENCY INTERFACE REQUIREMENTS
AT NEWLY CREATED PORTS, CUSTOMS IS AMENDING THE LAST SENTENCE IN PARAGRAPH
SIX OF CUSTOMS DIRECTIVE 099 3530-008 TO READ "AT THAT TIME PARTICIPATION
AT ALL PLANNED EXPANSION PORTS WILL BE MANDATORY. ANY SUBSEQUENT PORTS
THAT ARE BROUGHT ON LINE WILL BE VOLUNTARY FOR ABI CARGO RELEASE AND/OR
ABI ENTRY SUMMARY SUBMISSION UP TO ONE YEAR FROM THE DATE OF
IMPLEMENTAION IN THAT PORT. AFTER THE ONE YEAR PERIOD, PARTICIPATION WILL
BE MANDATORY FOR ALL AUTOMATED FILERS IN THAT PORT."

FOR THE FISH AND WILDLIFE INTERFACE, THIS MEANS ALL AUTOMATED FILERS MUST
PARTICIPATE IN THE INTERFACE AT THE 10 DESIGNATED PORTS EFFECTIVE AUGUST
29, 1994. AUTOMATED FILERS AT BALTIMORE AND ANY SUBSEQUENT FWS DESIGNATED
PORT MUST PARTICIPATE ONE YEAR AFTER THE INTERFACE IS IMPLEMENTED AT EACH
OF THOSE PORTS.

FOR THE FOOD AND DRUG INTERFACE, AUTOMATED FILERS WILL PARTICIPATE ON A
VOLUNTARY BASIS UNTIL THE FULL PROCESSING SYSTEM IS IMPLEMENTED. THE FULL
FDA PROCESSING SYSTEM HAS A PILOT PORT AND WILL FOLLOW THE DIRECTIVE
099 3530-008 AS MODIFIED ABOVE.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE CALL YOUR CLIENT REPRESENTATIVE OR
MICHAEL TOMS AT (202) 927-1037.