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 E-Manifest Compliance Rates Continue to Grow, Thanks to Joint Government-Industry Outreach Efforts
(05/17/2007)As U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) continues to expand a new policy requiring the mandatory filing of electronic truck manifests (e-manifests), more carriers are beginning to use e-manifests in preparation for the mandatory policy. When CBP announced that the mandatory e-manifest policy would be phased in, beginning with all land border ports in Washington and Arizona, and select ports in North Dakota, e-manifests represented only 3.9 percent of all manifests filed in those states. By the time CBP began implementing the policy in January 2007, the number of e-manifests filed rose to 50.3 percent. E-manifests now represent 97 percent of all truck manifests filed at the initial group of mandatory ports. CBP experienced similar upward gains in the run-up to the mandatory e-manifest policy implementation at land border ports in California, New Mexico, and Texas. E-manifests represented only two percent of all truck manifests filed when the agency announced in January 2007 that e-manifests would be required beginning April 19, 2007. By April 18, the day before mandatory filing was set to begin, e-manifests had already climbed to 28 percent of all manifests filed in these states. The next day e-manifest usage jumped to 58 percent of all truck manifests filed at ports in California, New Mexico, and Texas. CBP attributes the rise in e-manifests to joint Government-industry efforts to educate the trade community about the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) and prepare carriers for the shift to mandatory e-manifest filing.“ACE is the direct result of Government and trade community collaboration. Members of the trade community are actively reaching out to their peers and helping them understand and prepare for ACE initiatives like the mandatory e-manifest policy. The increase in e-manifest compliance at the first two groups of ports shows that all the hard work is paying off,” said CBP Cargo Systems Program Office Executive Director Louis Samenfink. Members of the trade community regularly participate in panels and presentations at CBP sponsored ACE Exchange conferences and also reach out to members of their local trade community to help them understand the benefits of ACE and its impact on business operations. While e-manifest usage is expected to rise as a result of the mandatory e-manifest policy, adoption of e-manifests before they are required is helping ensure a smooth transition to the eventual mandatory use of e-manifests nationwide. |
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