Truck manifest expands to small ports in Washington

Truck manifest expands to small ports in Washington    U.S. Customs and Border Protection said several smaller ports that have been set up to accept electronic manifests from truckers. The ports are all in the vicinity of Blaine, Wash., where CBP conducted its first pilot tests of the truck manifest system.
   Truckers who set up a special account and are certified to use the system will be able to automatically transmit manifest data and obtain release of their cargo, driver and equipment at the following border checkpoints: Sumas, Point Roberts, Oroville, Boundary, Danville, Ferry, Frontier, Laurier Metaline Falls; Nighthawk and Lynden.
   The electronic truck manifest is being developed as a component of the Automated Commercial Environment, CBP’s new computer system for dealing with imports and exports. The system is designed to eliminate paperless processing at the border and bring trucks up to speed with other modes of transport that have automated manifest systems.
   As part of its new expansion plan for the truck manifest test, CBP is designating participating ports that are clustered near each other in order to help get more truckers in an area to use the system rather than starting isolated tests in different parts of the country.
   The Department of Homeland Security agency has designated Sumas, instead of Blaine, as the “model site” for test expansion. “This deployment strategy will allow for more efficient equipment set-up, site checkouts, port briefings and central training” CBP said in the Federal Register.