CARRIERS, CENSUS AGREE TO EXTEND DEADLINE TO END FAXED SEDS TO NOV. 1

CARRIERS, CENSUS AGREE TO EXTEND DEADLINE TO END FAXED SEDS TO NOV. 1    The ocean carrier industry and the U.S. Census Bureau have reached an agreement to push back the deadline to end the practice of faxing shipper’s export declarations until Nov. 1.
   The Bureau of the Census/Ocean Carrier Agreement to Eliminate Paper Shipper’s Export Declarations (SEDs) was hammered out late last week during negotiations between Census, Customs and the ocean carriers of the Customs Electronic Systems Action Committee. The agencies had originally set the date to end faxed SEDs for Friday, Aug. 4.
   In 1996, Census and Customs agreed to allow exporters and forwarders to fax their SEDs to carriers in “emergency situations.” It quickly became a common practice for transmitting SEDs to the carriers. However, the problem, Census said, is that too many of these faxed SEDs are illegible, which causes the agency extra time and money to verify the information.
   While the carriers have bought themselves some time to change their policies regarding faxed SEDs, they also had to agree to help Census move exporters and forwarders toward filing their shipment data through the Automated Export System or the agency’s Internet link AESDirect.
   “I don’t think we blinked on this one,” said C. Harvey Monk Jr., chief of Census’ Foreign Trade Division. “There were some benefits to forming this agreement.”
   Under the agreement, the carriers will also provide Census with lists of customers who file paper SEDs, including names, addresses, and telephone numbers, and lists of their outbound ports.
   In addition, carriers must perform legibility checks of faxed SEDs, create links to AESDirect on their Internet Web sites, and ensure that their Vessel Sharing Agreement partners sign the agreement.
   After Nov. 1, ocean carriers must stop accepting faxed SEDs from their customers and continue to promote the use of AES. They must also impose an SED handling fee as set forth in their tariff agreements.
   Census says it will stick to the agreement until Nov. 1. In 45 days after signing the agreement, the agency will send reports to the carriers on their progress to convert exporters and forwarders to AES. Census also agreed not to divulge names of the carriers when contacting their clients who are filing paper SEDs