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 ACE Overview for Foreign Trade Zone Operators Fact Sheet
(06/04/2008)U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) invites Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) operators to establish Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Secure Data Portal accounts. Unlike other account types, the Foreign Trade Zones Board (FTZB), an ACE participating government agency, will create the FTZ operator account and with CBP will jointly maintain the core account information based upon data derived from the application and approval processes of both agencies. FTZs are approved by the FTZB of the Department of Commerce and activated by the CBP port director, as provided for in 15 CFR 400, 19 CFR 146 and 19 CFR 113.73, with regard to the requirement for coverage by a continuous Type 4 FTZ Bond.An FTZ operator with a portal account can view their account information and update some of the business information at the General Purpose (GP) site or subzone site level. At the GP site and subzone site level, the name of the site, mailing addresses and contact information can be updated; other information (e.g., physical address, bond information and business description) is created and maintained by CBP or the FTZB. In addition, document types (e.g., blueprints) and certification types (e.g., annual inventory certification) established by CBP and/or the FTZB can be viewed and added to by the FTZ operator. FTZ operators will also be able to post information on the portal thus achieving a national account view. Subsequent coordination with CBP on these postings can minimize administrative overhead with regard to resolving regulatory, compliance and operational issues.All portal accounts will be able to access important information regarding any ACE updates via their “News” view. Additional beneficial features for an FTZ portal account include the ability to:- View information that is maintained in the account, including bond information at the GP or subzone site level.
- View account-based business information.
- Edit address, except physical address and contact information.
- View status of any documentation or certification required by regulation or policy that is stipulated by CBP and/or the FTZB.
- Add updates to any document or certification types.
- Access port code and country code reference data.
- Utilize the business activity log to attach additional scanned or electronic information to the account, as deemed appropriate by CBP or the FTZB.
- Post information, track and/or respond to CBP on compliance and operational issues.
How to Apply for a FTZ Operators AccountAn FTZ operator desiring to become an ACE portal account will be required to complete the ACE Application. As part of this process, each FTZ operator will need to provide:- Employer Identification Number
- Facilities Information and Resources Management System (FIRMS) code
- Custodial bond information
- ZoneNumber
Additional eligibility requirements were set forth in the Federal Register Notice published on October 18, 2007. Please refer to the Federal Register Notices page on CBP.gov for more information.
( Recent Federal Register Notices )
Once the request to become a portal account is received and approved by CBP, the portal account will be created in ACE. The FTZ operator will be subsequently contacted with information on how to access and update the account information.Additional InformationInterested trade members are able to take an introductory Web-Based Training Course, which is posted on the ACE: Modernization Information Systems homepage.Trade members may directly access training through the Internet by visiting the ACE Online website.
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ACE Online ) The username is user01 and the password is 1Password. Please note that both the username and password are case sensitive. |
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