The Bureau of Customs and Border Protection announced that a pilot program to process cargo manifests electronically using a new system is back up and running at the port of Blaine, WA.
The program is part of a new commercial trade processing system, Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), being developed by the Customs Bureau to monitor imports that come into the U.S. via truck. It will eventually replace the Automated Commercial System.
After only three weeks of testing, the program had been suspended so that technical problems related to unacceptably long response times could be resolved.
Mount Vernon, WA-based trucking company Brownline Inc., which filed the first two e-manifests, said the ACE pilot program is off to a good start. “It's in a test mode and the software still needs some fine-tuning, but right now it's great for a carrier who has simple manifests,” said Brownline's general manager, Steven McQueary.
“Instead of relying on a paper manifest scribbled by a truck driver crumpled up in the truck, the e-manifest takes a huge burden off the driver and carrier both, with more accurate data.”
Carriers can get information on setting up ACE accounts by contacting Customs and Border Patrol at [email protected].
