Following is a message from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
Beginning January 1, 2019 all commercial truck shipments containing Section 321 merchandise will be required to file an advance electronic manifest in accordance to the guidelines specified in the Trade Act of 2002.
Shipments qualifying for Section 321 release were exempt from the electronic manifest filing requirement due to a policy decision made by CBP during the implementation of the Trade Act of 2002.
The rise in eCommerce combined with the increase in the De Minimis value, has resulted in a significant growth in shipments being manifested and released under Section 321.
The lack of an electronic manifest eliminates CBP’s ability to conduct a risk assessment or perform advance targeting within the Automated Targeting System (ATS), results in slower processing times and longer wait times.
There are multiple ways to submit a 321 manifest. For online information, please visit; https://www.cbp.gov/trade/ace/training-and-reference-guides. Reference guides are available in both Spanish and English. For information specific to truck manifest visit; https://www.cbp.gov/document/guidance/review-e-manifest-trucks
Companies not utilizing the provided portal will need to hire a service provider or have an EDI system in place to submit the information. For technical guidance regarding the EDI systems visit; https://www.cbp.gov/trade/automated/technical/ace-import-manifest-documentation.
Beginning November 26, 2018, CBP will begin a phased approach for non-compliance with conveyances being referred to secondary for processing. Then starting January 1, 2019, carriers which make no attempt to comply with the electronic manifest requirement will be issued a monetary penalty ($5000 for the first offence and $10,000 for subsequent offences).
For additional information concerning the electronic filing of the truck manifest in ACE please contact; [email protected]
Truck Section 321 Additional Points of Contacts
In accordance with the guidelines specified in the Trade Act of 2002, all commercial truck shipments containing low value merchandise cleared under the provisions of 19 CFR 10.151 (more commonly known as Section 321 shipments), will require an advance electronic manifest to be filed with CBP prior to border crossing.
For information about applying for a carriers account in the ACE portal, please visit: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/automated/getting-started/portal-applying
For technical guidance regarding the EDI systems visit: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/automated/technical/ace-import-manifest-documentation.
For additional information concerning the change in policy please contact the OFO Manifest Branch at [email protected]
For additional support with filing a manifest, please contact ACE Support at [email protected]
If you are hauling more than 5000 shipments on a single manifest, please contact Amy Hatfield directly at [email protected]