• To : Automated Broker Interface
Subject: CREATION OF AUTOMATED COMMERCI
TO : ALL ABI BROKERS.                                                     

FROM : SUSAN C MASKELL                                                    

SUBJECT : Creation of Automated Commerci                                  

alTE : 10/24/2005                                                         

 SUBJECT:                                                                 
 CREATION OF AUTOMATED COMMERCIAL ENVIRONMENT (ACE)                       
 NON-PORTAL ACCOUNTS FOR IMPORTERS                                        
 ---------------------------------                                        


TO ENCOURAGE MAXIMUM PARTICIPATION IN THE PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT      
TEST, U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION (CBP) WILL NO LONGER REQUIRE     
THAT IMPORTERS FIRST ESTABLISH ACE PORTAL ACCOUNTS IN ORDER TO PAY        
ESTIMATED DUTIES AND FEES ON A MONTHLY BASIS AS REQUIRED BY THE FEDERAL   
REGISTER NOTICE (FRN) OF FEBRUARY 4, 2004 (SEE 69 FR 5362).  CBP WILL     
NOW ALLOW THE CREATION OF ACE NON-PORTAL ACCOUNTS FOR IMPORTERS WISHING TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE ACE TEST BUT NOT SEEKING THE BENEFITS OF HAVING AN     
ACE PORTAL ACCOUNT.                                                       

IMPORTERS WHO ARE CERTIFIED PARTNERS IN THE VOLUNTARY CUSTOMS-TRADE       
PARTNERSHIP AGAINST TERRORISM (C-TPAT) PROGRAM AND WHO ARE NOT CURRENT    
ACE ACCOUNTS WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE ESTABLISHED AS ACE NON-PORTAL          
ACCOUNTS AND ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PERIODIC MONTHLY          
STATEMENT TEST.  FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS, PLEASE REFER TO 70 FR 61466,     
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 24, 2005, WHICH CAN BE FOUND ON THE ACE FEDERAL         
REGISTER NOTICES LINK AT WWW.CBP.GOV/MODERNIZATION. THE CREATION          
OF ACE NON-PORTAL ACCOUNTS FOR IMPORTERS AND THE AUTOMATIC ACE            
NON-PORTAL ACCOUNT PARTICIPATION FOR C-TPAT IMPORTERS WHO ARE             
CERTIFIED PARTNERS IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY UPON THE PUBLICATION          
OF 70 FR 61466.  TO CREATE AN ACE NON-PORTAL ACCOUNT FOR AN IMPORTER,     
THE BROKER MUST FIRST ESTABLISH THEIR ACE PORTAL ACCOUNT.                 

IMPORTERS ARE REMINDED THAT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PERIODIC MONTHLY        
STATEMENT TEST, A CONTINUOUS BOND COVERING DUTIES AND FEES MUST BE        
IN PLACE. PAYMENT MUST BE EFFECTED VIA AUTOMATED CLEARING HOUSE (ACH)     
DEBIT OR ACH CREDIT.                                                      

ENTRY/ENTRY SUMMARIES MUST BE FILED VIA THE AUTOMATED BROKER              
INTERFACE. ENTRIES NOT ELIGIBLE TO BE PAID ON A PERIODIC MONTHLY          
STATEMENT INCLUDE RECONCILIATION ENTRIES (ENTRY TYPE 09), NAFTA DUTY      
DEFERRAL ENTRIES (ENTRY TYPE 08) AND ENTRIES REQUIRING THE PAYMENT OF     
EXCISE TAX.                                                               

THE STEPS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT TEST AS AN     
ACE NON-PORTAL ACCOUNT ARE AS FOLLOWS:                                    

 I.  ACE NON-PORTAL ACCOUNTS FOR CERTIFIED C-TPAT IMPORTERS               

    A. THE CERTIFIED C-TPAT IMPORTER NOTIFIES THE BROKER THEY             
       WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT AND              
       SUPPLIES A LIST OF C-TPAT IMPORTER OF RECORD (IR) NUMBERS.         
        -- IF THE IMPORTER HAS A CBP ACCOUNT MANAGER, THE IMPORTER        
           MUST PROVIDE THE BROKER WITH THE CBP ACCOUNT MANAGER'S         
           NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS.                                       
        -- THE IMPORTER MUST PROVIDE THE BROKER WITH A COPY OF THEIR      
           C-TPAT CERTIFIED LETTER (COPY OF CBP CORRESPONDENCE).          

    B. THE BROKER DOES THE FOLLOWING:                                     
        -- SENDS AN E-MAIL TO [email protected] WITH A LIST       
           OF THE IMPORTER'S IR NUMBERS THAT WILL BE FLAGGED FOR          
           PERIODIC MONTLY STATEMENT AND A SCANNED COPY OF THE            
           C-TPAT CERTIFIED LETTER.  THE E-MAIL SUBJECT LINE SHOULD       
           READ: "ACTIVATION REQUEST".                                    
        -- IF APPLICABLE, THE BROKER SENDS A CARBON COPY OF THE           
           ABOVE REFERENCED E-MAIL NOTIFICATION TO THE IMPORTER'S         
            CBP ACCOUNT MANAGER.                                          


    C. AFTER SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE ABOVE STEPS, CBP WILL SET       
       THE SWITCH TO ALLOW PARTICIPATION IN PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT.   

    D. UPON ACTIVATION, AN E-MAIL NOTIFICATION WILL BE SENT TO THE        
       BROKER WITH A COPY TO THE IMPORTER'S CBP ACCOUNT MANAGER.          

    E. THE BROKER WILL THEN NOTIFY THE IMPORTER.                          
       WHERE AN IMPORTER USES MULTIPLE BROKERS, THE IMPORTER IS           
       RESPONSIBLE FOR NOTIFYING ALL APPLICABLE BROKERS THAT THEY HAVE    
       BEEN ACTIVATED FOR PARTICIPATION IN PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT.    


 II. ACE NON-PORTAL ACCOUNTS FOR IMPORTERS, NOT C-TPAT CERTIFIED          

    A. THE NON C-TPAT IMPORTER NOTIFIES THE BROKER THEY WANT TO           
       PARTICIPATE IN PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT AS A NON-PORTAL          
       ACCOUNT AND SUPPLIES A LIST OF IR NUMBERS THROUGH THE              
       CREATION OF A 5106, IMPORTER ID INPUT RECORD.                      
       -- IF THE IMPORTER HAS A CBP ACCOUNT MANAGER, THE IMPORTER         
          MUST PROVIDE THE BROKER WITH THE CBP ACCOUNT MANAGER'S          
          NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS.                                        

    B. THE BROKER DOES THE FOLLOWING:                                     
        --  ENSURES A VALID POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR THE IMPORTER IS ON      
            FILE.                                                         
        --  INITIATES A BOND QUERY VIA THE AUTOMATED BROKER INTERFACE     
            (ABI) TO VERIFY THAT THE SPECIFIC IR NUMBER IS COVERED        
            BY A VALID CONTINUOUS BOND (CB) ON FILE WITH CBP.             
        --  COMPARES THE  5106 DATA TO THE DATA RETURNED FROM THE         
            BOND QUERY.                                                   

     C. CONSISTENT DATA                                                   
        --  IF THE BOND DATA RETURNED IS CONSISTENT WITH THE 5106         
            DATA, THE BROKER SENDS AN E-MAIL TO                           
            [email protected] WITH A LIST OF THE IMPORTER'S       
            IR NUMBERS THAT WILL BE FLAGGED FOR PERIODIC MONTHLY          
            STATEMENT ALONG WITH A SCANNED IMAGE OF THE 5106 (S).         
            THE E-MAIL SUBJECT LINE SHOULD READ: "ACTIVATION REQUEST."    
            THE TOP OF THE FORM MUST CONTAIN A NOTE INDICATING            
            "PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT ACTIVATION".                      

              ##  IF APPLICABLE, THE BROKER SENDS A CARBON COPY OF        
                  THE ABOVE REFERENCED E-MAIL NOTIFICATION TO THE         
                  IMPORTER'S CBP ACCOUNT MANAGER.                         

              ##  UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE ABOVE STEPS, CBP      
                  WILL SET THE SWITCH TO ALLOW PARTICIPATION IN           
                  PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT.                             


              ##  UPON ACTIVATION, AN E-MAIL NOTIFICATION WILL BE SENT    
                  TO THE BROKER WITH A COPY TO THE IMPORTER'S CBP         
                  ACCOUNT MANAGER.                                        

              ##  THE BROKER WILL NOTIFY THE IMPORTER.                    
                          WHERE AN IMPORTER USES MULTIPLE BROKERS,        
                          THE IMPORTER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR NOTIFYING       
                          ALL APPLICABLE BROKERS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN      
                          ACTIVATED FOR PARTICIPATION IN PERIODIC         
                           MONTHLY STATEMENT.                             
 OR                                                                       


    D. INCONSISTENT DATA                                                  

        -- IF THE BOND DATA RETURNED IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE           
           5106 DATA, THE BROKER NOTIFIES THE IMPORTER OF THE             
           DISCREPANCY.                                                   
              ##  IF THE IMPORTER STATES THE 5106 IS CORRECT AND THE      
                  SPECIFIC IR NUMBER IS EITHER THE PRINCIPAL,             
                  CO-PRINCIPAL, OR AN AUTHORIZED USER ON THE CB,          
                  THEN THE IMPORTER MUST SUBMIT THE 5106 AS WELL          
                  AS A BOND RIDER SHOWING THE CORRECT NAME AND            
                  ADDRESS INFORMATION TO THE REVENUE DIVISION,            
                  BOND SECTION.                                           

              ##  CBP WILL NOTIFY THE BROKER WHEN THE UPDATE IS           
                  COMPLETE.                                               

              ##  THE BROKER THEN SENDS AN E-MAIL TO                      
                  [email protected] WITH A LIST OF THE            
                  IMPORTER'S IR NUMBERS THAT WILL BE FLAGGED FOR          
                  PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT ALONG WITH A SCANNED         
                  IMAGE OF THE 5106(S).  THE E-MAIL SUBJECT LINE          
                  SHOULD READ: "ACTIVATION REQUEST".  THE TOP OF          
                  FORM MUST CONTAIN A NOTE INDICATING "PERIODIC           
                  MONTHLY STATEMENT ACTIVATION".                          

              ##  IF APPLICABLE, THE BROKER SENDS A CARBON COPY OF        
                  THE ABOVE REFERENCED E-MAIL NOTIFICATION TO THE         
                  IMPORTER'S CBP ACCOUNT MANAGER.                         

              ##  UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE ABOVE STEPS,          
                  CBP WILL SET THE SWTICH TO ALLOW PARTICIPATION          
                  IN PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT.                          

              ##  UPON ACTIVATION, AN E-MAIL NOTIFICATION WILL BE         
                  SENT TO THE BROKER WITH A COPY TO THE IMPORTER'S        
                  CBP ACCOUNT MANAGER.                                    

              ##  THE BROKER WILL THEN NOTIFY THE IMPORTER.               
                          WHERE AN IMPORTER USES MULTIPLE BROKERS,        
                          IMPORTER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR NOTIFYING ALL       
                          APPLICABLE BROKERS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN          
                          ACTIVATED FOR PARTICIPATION IN PERIODIC         
                          MONTHLY STATEMENT.                              

IMPORTERS ARE REMINDED THAT IF THEY WISH TO ESTABLISH ACE NON-PORTAL      
ACCOUNTS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PERIODIC MONTHLY STATEMENT PROCESSING       
THROUGH THEIR CUSTOMS BROKER, THE BROKER MUST FIRST ESTABLISH AN ACE      
PORTAL ACCOUNT. IF THE BROKER IS NOT CURRENTLY AN ACE PORTAL ACCOUNT,     
PLEASE DIRECT THE BROKER TO THE ACE APPLICATION INFORMATION LINK AT       
WWW.CBP.GOV/MODERNIZATION OR E-MAIL [email protected] TO LEARN HOW           
TO ENROLL.                                                                

IF MORE THAN ONE BROKER ATTEMPTS TO ESTABLISH A NON-PORTAL ACCOUNT ON     
BEHALF OF THE IMPORTER AND THE NON-PORTAL ACCOUNT HAS ALREADY BEEN        
ESTABLISHED, THE BROKER WILL BE NOTIFIED BY CBP THAT THE SWITCH FOR       
THIS IR NUMBER HAS ALREADY BEEN SET TO ALLOW PARTICIPATION IN PERIODIC    
MONTHLY STATEMENT.                                                        

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THESE CHANGES, PLEASE SEND AN         
E-MAIL TO [email protected].