ACE to Be Required at Entry Points in California, Texas, N. Mex.

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The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency said Friday that truck carriers entering the United States at all land border ports of entry in California, Texas and New Mexico will be required to present advance electronic cargo information through the Automated Commercial Environment truck manifest system.CBP said in a Federal Register notice published Friday that the rule would be effective 90 days from the publication date of the notice, which would make the compliance date April 19.ACE technology was designed to protect the United States from terrorism while ensuring the country’s economic vitality by expediting lawful trade, CPB said.An electronic submission, called an e-manifest, is an electronically version of the paper manifest that carriers are now 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 of CBP’s cargo systems 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,” he said in a statement.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 starting next Thursday.Eventually, ACE will be required at all land border ports of entry. As mandatory use of ACE is phased in at other ports, CBP will continue to provide 90 days notice through the Federal Register, the agency said.(Click here for previous coverage.)