see also: in March 2004:   CBP Border Patrol Seizes Over 273 Pounds of Cocaine   CBP Border Patrol Agents Rescue Twenty-two civilians in Kyrgyzstan   CBP Border Patrol Seizes Over 2,800 Pounds of Marijuana   U.S. Customs And Border Protection Commissioner Robert C. Bonner Hails Supreme Court's Pro Border Search Ruling   CBP Border Patrol Seizes Over 2,800 Pounds of Marijuana   CBP Border Patrol Seizes $2.5 Million in Drugs   San Ysidro Port of Entry to Test New Procedure For Issuance of I-94 Permits to Mexican Travelers. ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

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Washington, D.C. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced today in the Federal Register revised implementation dates for the transmission of inbound air cargo data required under its Trade Act of 2002 cargo security rules. The original implementation date is March 4, 2004.

"The new schedule will allow CBP to modify certain critical aspects of Air AMS, train all CBP officers that process imported air cargo on those changes, and certify the software of new participants," said CBP Commissioner Robert C. Bonner.

The final rule established procedures not supported by the existing system edits in the Air Automated Manifest System or Air AMS, the CBP-approved electronic data interchange system. CBP will complete the necessary changes to Air AMS in May 2004, followed by a 90-day certification testing period. Implementation will begin as shown in the following chart:

Date:	Ports in the following locations:
August 13, 2004	Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia
October 13, 2004	Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin
December 13, 2004	Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Washington

CBP recognizes that some carriers, in order to complete the automation process at all their arrival locations, may desire to begin submitting data for those ports in an earlier timeframe. CBP will work with them, and if possible, staffing and training requirements permitting, will accommodate their requests.

For more information on the Federal Register notice and the rule requiring electronic transmission of cargo information, please visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection web site at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/communications_to_industry/advance_info/

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is an agency within the Department of Homeland Security that unifies U.S. Customs, Immigration and Agriculture Inspectors and U.S. Border Patrol Agents.