Mandatory e-truck manifest kicks in on southern border

Mandatory e-truck manifest kicks in on southern border U.S. border control regulations requiring truck drivers to file cargo documentation electronically prior to arrival at a port of entry went into effect Thursday on the southern border.
   The electronic manifest rules took effect in California, Texas and New Mexico as U.S. Customs and Border Protection migrates from paper-based processing of inbound truck shipments. The agency is phasing in the mandatory e-manifest rule for truckers by geographical region after first rolling out the capability and allowing truckers to voluntarily use the system.
   More than 21,000 trucks cross the southern border every day and electronic filing is expected to speed up processing and improve security screening.
   There were more than 32,000 e-manifests filed in March at southern border checkpoints, including in Arizona, according to CBP.
   The agency will use the next two months as a soft enforcement period to educate and inform truckers who are not complying with the rule. After the informed compliance period, truckers may be denied entry or fined up to $10,000 per violation.
   E-manifests are already required in Washington, Arizona and several North Dakota crossings.
   The truck manifest is a new module that runs within the agency’s Automated Commercial Environment trade processing computer system currently under development.