Introduction to e-Manifest
What e-Manifest is, what it covers, and how carriers file it.
Since the Trade Act of 2002, every truck carrying cargo into the United States has been required to send US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) an electronic manifest before it reaches the border. That electronic manifest is the e-Manifest. It is filed through ACE, CBP's Automated Commercial Environment, and it gives CBP time to screen a shipment before the truck arrives.
Electronic notice has to reach CBP before the truck arrives at the border, and an accepted e-Manifest is what lets your driver cross, so getting it right the first time keeps loads moving.
An e-Manifest covers the physical movement of the goods: who is shipping them, who is receiving them, which driver and equipment are carrying them, and what and how much is on board. It works alongside the Customs entry, which covers the commercial transaction, but does not replace it.
Carriers can file directly in the ACE Portal or work through a certified service provider like Greeneye, which handles the data entry, the Customs messaging, and your confirmations. Heading the other direction? Canada has its own requirement, covered on our ACI Info page.