Customs to enforce truck e-reporting

WASHINGTON -- Customs and Border Protection will begin enforcing electronic advance reporting rules at the busiest border crossings in New York, Michigan, Washington, and the Southwest beginning Nov. 15 for inbound trucks.

Among the 40 border stations slated for enforcement are Detroit and Port Huron, Mich.; Buffalo, Blaine, Wash., Otay Mesa, Calif., Laredo and El Paso, Texas, and Nogales, Ariz. 

Electronic truck manifest filing requirements were initiated by the 2002 Trade Act. Under the law, Customs must electronically receive truck manifest information through a agency-approved electronic-data-interchange (EDI) system no later than one hour before the carrier's arrival at the first U.S. port.

For truck carriers arriving with shipments qualified for clearance under the FAST (Free and Secure Trade) program, the agency must electronically receive cargo information no later than 30 minutes before the carrier arrives at the first U.S. port.

Customs has approved two interim EDI systems for use until its Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) truck manifest becomes operational. The approved systems are the Pre-Arrival Processing System (PAPS) and QP/WP (an Automated Broker Interface processing system that allows filers to create and process in-bond shipments).

Customs also said "as a temporary accommodation," it would not require either of the agency-approved EDI systems to be used if the merchandise transported by the truck carrier is approved for processing under the Customs Automated Forms Entry System (CAFES) or the Border Release Advanced Screening and Selectivity (BRASS) program.

Customs has named 40 northern and southern border ports ... for the electronic truck manifest compliance date of Nov. 15. The second wave of 43 land-border ports for the truck manifest implementation is scheduled for Dec. 15. The last 16 land-border ports will be added to the program by Jan. 14.

Also, for more information, contact James Swanson of Customs' Office of Field Operations at (202) 344-2576.