CBP to stagger ACE implementation deadlines

A new directive regarding U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s single window Automated Commercial Environment initiative phases in mandatory entry summary and filing from March through May, after the previous Feb. 28 deadline.    U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Monday said it will delay the implementation of some aspects of its much anticipated Automated Commercial Environment electronic platform beyond the current Feb. 28 deadline.
   The announcement is part of a new staggered approach to implementing the single window initiative driven primarily by feedback from the cargo movement industry.
   “While significant progress has been made, continued concerns about stakeholder readiness have necessitated an updated timeline for the mandatory transition to ACE for electronic entry and entry summary filing,” CBP said in a statement. “This updated timeline continues to align with our December 2016 deadline for full implementation of the Single Window via ACE.”
   Under the revised schedule of implementation, it will be mandatory to file electronic entry summaries for six entry types by March 31 and electronic entries for those same entry types by May 28. Both filings were set to be mandatory within ACE by Feb. 28 under the previous schedule.
   Filers will be required to file in ACE for a broader range on entry types by the summer of 2016. CBP’s said it will start divesting its legacy Automated Commercial System on Feb. 28 by reducing tech support to users and prioritizing ACE entries over ACS entries. 
   “It is encouraging to see CBP adapt the ACE timeline to stagger implementation over the next several months,” said Elizabeth Connell, vice president of product management at Integration Point. “This additional time to transition to ACE will greatly help importers better prepare for the eventual decommission of ACS and final transition to ACE. There is still much to be done by the trade in preparing for ACE. I encourage everyone to not wait for the amended deadlines but to continue to fast-track their own transition to filing in ACE.”