ACE eManifest Rail and Sea
ACE eManifest Rail and Sea programs are administered by US Customs & Border Protection (CBP) agency. It makes it possible for freight forwarders, ocean & rail carriers to submit their manifests electronically to CBP before the vessel arrives at a US port or a train arrives at a US border crossing.
As a participant in the ACE Rail and Sea programs, you will need to secure an International Carrier Bond. You will have to seek the services of an approved surety to get the Type-3 International Carrier Bond. To apply for the customs bond you will need to complete CBP Form 301. The Treasury’s Financial Management Service maintains a list of approved sureties on their website named “Circular 570”. You can access the list from their website or if you have any issues or need more information you can contact them by phone or by email. You will only need one bond, which will allow you to operate at all points of entry into the US. Any questions about the bond application process can be directed to cbp.bondquestions@dhs.gov.
ACE eManifest Rail and Sea
ACE eManifest Rail and Sea programs are administered by US Customs & Border Protection (CBP) agency. It makes it possible for freight forwarders, ocean & rail carriers to submit their manifests electronically to CBP before the vessel arrives at a US port or a train arrives at a US border crossing.
As a participant in the ACE Rail and Sea programs, you will need to secure an International Carrier Bond. You will have to seek the services of an approved surety to get the Type-3 International Carrier Bond. To apply for the customs bond you will need to complete CBP Form 301. The Treasury’s Financial Management Service maintains a list of approved sureties on their website named “Circular 570”. You can access the list from their website or if you have any issues or need more information you can contact them by phone or by email. You will only need one bond, which will allow you to operate at all points of entry into the US. Any questions about the bond application process can be directed to cbp.bondquestions@dhs.gov.
You will need to declare the type of trade participant you are and provide a range of information. The categories include
Master Vessel Operating Common Carrier (MVOCC)
Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC)
Secondary Notify Party (SNP)
Port Authority
Service Center
Software vendor
Terminal Operator
Rail Carrier
Importer Security Filing (ISF) – ISF-5 applies to carriers while ISF-10 applies to importers. The (5) denotes the requirement of 5 data elements and the (10) denotes the requirement of 10 data elements.
If you wish to set up for eManifest: Ocean and Rail and in a category not covered in the mentioned types, you can always email the CBP at letterofintent@cbp.dhs.gov.
Information required for the ACE eManifest Rail and Sea Letter of Intent
A statement that you intend to participate in Rail Manifest or Ocean Manifest
Indicate the type of company (terminal operator, MVOCC, Rail carrier, service centre etc.) – Service centres (web-based software) have to declare that they intend to participate as a service centre and are developing new software. Software vendors (client-hosted software) need to declare that they intend to trade as software vendors and that they are developing new software.
Provide your Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) bond number (only for NVOCC)
Provide the type 3 International Carrier bond number for MVOCC, NVOCC, and Rail carriers
Indicate your 4-letter SCAC number/code. Freight forwarders, rail and ocean carriers transporting commercial goods need to have a SCAC code, which is issued by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA)
Ask for a four-character SCAC code from the CBP (for port authorities, service centres, software vendors, terminal operators)
Indicate in your application that you intend to participate in the Paperless Master in Bond Program. You need to indicate your Type 2 Custodial number if you intend to participate (Applies to MVOCC, NVOCC, and Rail Carriers).
Provide the type of EDI data syntax you intend to use. (CAMIR, ANSI X12, EDIFACT)
Submit an LOI to the CBP for every client who will be using your company to receive and transmit manifest data (applies to service centres, and port authorities).
The letter of intent for operation as a port authority needs to include the port code and port name from where you intend to operate.
Information required for the ACE eManifest Rail and Sea Letter of Intent
ACE Air eManifest or AMS (Automated Manifest System), is a program that allows qualified operators to file their manifest data with the US Customs CBP electronically.
ACE Air eManifest requires a Type 3 International Carrier Bond, which you can obtain from a CBP approved surety. The surety is in charge of issuing customs bonds when applying using the CBP Form 301. Same as ocean and rail eManifest, you only need to have one bond, which will grant access and be valid for all ports of entry.
You will need to declare the type of trade participant you are and provide a range of information. The categories include
Air Carrier
Deconsolidation/Container Freight Station (CFS) Operator
Freight Forwarder
Communications Network/Van
Software Vendor/Service Center
Common Information required for Air eManifest Participants
Indicate that you intend to be a participant in the Air AMS (ACE Air eManifest)
Indicate the type of company (Air Carrier, Deconsolidator/Container Freight Station (CFS) Operator, Freight Forwarder, Communications Network/Van, or Software Vendor/Service Center).
For Air Carriers, indicate your Type 3 International Carrier bond number, for Container Freight Station (CFS) or Deconsolidator provide the Type 2 Custodial bond number, for Freight forwarders you need to provide your Type 1 Importer bond number
For VAN/Communications Network and Service Centers/Software Vendors, the rule is, other than parties using communication providers SITA or ARINC the ABI filer, Deconsolidator, and Air Carrier clients of a VAN/Communications Network will get a unique originating address for each VAN/Communications Network associated with them.
Specific Requirements for Each Type of AMS Participant
Air Carriers
Indicate the 3 letter designator code you got from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
Fill in the 2 character airline designator and the 3 numeric airway bill prefix from the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
Provide a list of the airport codes and names of US airports at a CBP Port of Entry where planes will be arriving to
Container Freight Station (CFS)/Deconsolidator Operator
Provide the FIRMS code (warehouse code)
Freight Forwarder
If providing advance house (consolidated air shipment information) you must obtain an ABI filer code and be in possession of an importer bond
Any Air AMS participant may nominate an Air AMS freight forwarder to transmit data regarding a particular waybill
Meet with local CBP at the Port to advise how you will be participating in Air AMS and filing data under Sec. 321. (shipments valued at $800 or less)
Remember, Sec. 321 shipments are not paperless; a CBP Officer at the Port will review the bill information and take action after their review.
Communications Network/Van
If you are using either the ARINC OR SITA network you need to indicate the station address assigned by these airline communication providers
Software Vendor/Service Center
Indicate that you wish to operate as a Service Center or Software Vendor and that you are developing new software
Have all clients for your Service Center or Software Vendor business submit their own letter of intent showing that they intend to participate in the Air AMS as either Freight Forwarders or CFS Operator Deconsolidator, or Air Carrier.
ACE Truck eManifest
The ACE e-Manifest: Truck is a mandatory program from CBP that requires carriers to submit truck manifests to the CBP. This is done electronically and at least 1 hour before the truck arrives at one of the US’s border crossings.
You will need to declare the type of trade participant you are and provide a range of information. The categories include
Motor Carrier
Service Center/Software Vendor
EDI Manifest Filing Service
Information required for the ACE e-Manifest: Truck
Declare that you intend to be a participant in the “ACE e-Manifest: Truck”
State if you are a highway carrier
Declare that you intend to participate as a Service Center or Software Vendor and that you are developing new software.
Declare that you intend to operate as an EDI eManifest Filing service and that you will be using third party software (for EDI eManifest Filing Service).
Include the 4-letter SCAC, that you got from the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (Only for motor carriers).
Declare the EDI data syntax you intend to use. (EDIFACT or ANSI X12)
