MODE: TRUCK – Destined to the United States

The U.S. Customs Service is currently restructuring the cargo release process for all modes of commercial imports into the United States. This restructuring is the first step in the transition to the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), which will include both expedited and standard release mechanisms. This process will result in the gradual draw down of the Border Release Advanced Screening and Selectivity (BRASS) release system formerly known as Line Release. The Free and Secure Trade (FAST) system or its Southern Border equivalent will ultimately replace BRASS.

Trade participants will be required to establish connectivity to the ACE truck manifest system within 90 days of its official availability at each Port of Entry.

FAST and its Southern Border equivalent will pave the way for the truck manifest system, which will be incorporated into the development of ACE. To meet the advance targeting requirements established in section 343 of the Trade Act of 2002, U.S. Customs is proposing that advanced electronic cargo manifest information be supplied 4 hours prior to lading.

The Southern Border Cargo Release Strategy will mirror a system similar to the FAST concept with modifications to meet the cargo-processing needs of the southern border. Currently, a select group of customs officials from both Mexico and the United States are coordinating their efforts to develop a similar release mechanism for the Southern Border, which will include a bilateral release strategy.

In the interim, expedited processing will also be afforded to those certified highway carriers who process cargo through the Pre-Arrival Processing System (PAPS), and employ pre-approved drivers that are only transporting shipments from Customs- Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) importers. Conveyances arriving with both C-TPAT importer shipments and non-C-TPAT importer shipments will not be afforded expedited processing.