CBP Completes ACE Installation in Texas and New Mexico

On Saturday, May 6, 2006, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) concluded installations of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) in Texas. All 13 land border ports in the Lone Star state, as well as two new ports in Santa Teresa and Columbus, New Mexico are now processing cargo using ACE.

ACE is the commercial trade processing system being developed by CBP to enhance border security and expedite legitimate trade.
There are currently 41 ACE ports located in the states of Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Washington, Texas, and New Mexico. CBP is working diligently to finish deployment at all land-border ports.

In the next few weeks, CBP expects to complete the transition along the southern border, reaching California and one remaining port in Arizona, and then begin installations in the northeast. Eventually ACE will be rolled out for air, rail, and sea cargo processing.

"The transition to ACE in Texas and New Mexico is huge, representing more than half of our operations on the southern land border, stretching nearly 1,500 miles," said Cargo Systems Program Office Executive Director Louis Samenfink. "Making the switch to ACE improves border security and facilitates legitimate trade."

Truck carriers are encouraged by CBP to establish ACE truck carrier accounts now to ensure efficient border operations when electronic manifests (e-Manifests) are eventually mandated at all land ports. The faster carriers adopt e-Manifests, the faster the border crossing process speeds up for everyone.

Time Saving System

The new electronic manifest for trucks was introduced as part of ACE, the next generation of technology designed to expedite lawful trade and enhance national border security. ACE e-Manifest for trucks is a powerful, time saving tool. Truck carriers can submit an e-Manifest through the web-based ACE Secure Data Portal or via CBP approved Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) procedures. The portal is essentially a computer screen similar to a Web site home page that connects CBP and the trade community by providing a single, integrated, on-line access point for communications and information. With a one-screen system, filing is easy and data can be stored and reused requiring less data entry time for truck carriers.

How does e-Manifest work?

When a truck approaches the primary booth, transponder technology similar to that of a toll-paying device may be used to signal the truck's arrival. The e-Manifest is automatically retrieved along with the matching pre-filed entries and other release declarations for the CBP officer to view and process. In addition, by establishing and using an ACE portal account, carriers can track the status of their trips and generate a wide variety of reports. This enables carriers to identify trends to plan future courses of action and achieve better results for their company.