Washington, DC—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) today announced in the Federal Register that, effective 90 days from the publication date of the notice, truck carriers entering the United States at any land border ports of entry in the states of California, Texas and New Mexico will be required to present advance electronic cargo information through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Truck Manifest System.

ACE is the next generation of CBP technology designed to protect the United States from terrorism while ensuring the country’s economic vitality by expediting lawful trade. The electronic submission, called an e-manifest, is an electronically filed version of the paper manifest carriers are already required to submit before crossing the U.S. border.

“E-manifest allows CBP to begin processing the truck before it arrives at the port,” said Louis Samenfink, executive director for CBP’s Cargo Systems Program Office. “With advance access to truck cargo information, CBP officers are able to pre-screen trucks and shipments, and dedicate more time to inspecting suspicious cargo without delaying the border crossings of legitimate carriers.”

This is the second group of ports where filing of an e-manifest through ACE will be required. The first group of ports is mandated to use ACE e-Manifest on January 25. Eventually, ACE will be required at all land border ports of entry. As mandatory use of ACE e-Manifest is phased in at other ports, CBP will continue to provide 90 days notice through the Federal Register.

The requirement to submit advance electronic cargo information is mandated by the Trade Act of 2002. To comply with this requirement, truck carriers have the following options to transmit their electronic manifest.

• Self file through the web-based ACE secure data portal or via a CBP approved electronic data interchange (EDI), or
• Use third parties, which usually require a fee.

For more information on ACE, please e-mail CBP at acenow@dhs.gov or visit the CBP Modernization Web site. ( ACE: Modernization Information Systems )

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security responsible for the management, control, and protection of our Nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

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