ACE e-Manifest in 500 Words
The essentials, in plain English: what e-Manifest is, how it works, and what it doesn't replace.
Why it exists
Carriers have always been required to manifest, or “make evident,” what they are transporting between countries. After the attacks of September 11, 2001, Congress passed the Trade Act of 2002, which requires electronic cargo information to reach US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) before a shipment arrives at the border.
How it works
ACE e-Manifest is the CBP system that receives that information. You, or a service provider like Greeneye on your behalf, transmit each trip with its shipments, driver, and equipment. CBP checks the data and sends back a response, and an Accepted message means the trip has been received and verified.
Each shipment carries a shipment control number (SCN), formerly known as the PAPS number. The SCN ties the e-Manifest shipment to the Customs entry your broker files, so the two have to match.
FDA Prior Notice
Shipments subject to the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 have a mandatory wait for the FDA of 1 hour after filing FDA Prior Notice information. FDA Prior Notice can be filed with estimated information before the e-Manifest goes to Customs, and the one-hour wait applies to FDA Prior Notice only, not to e-Manifest.
Customs entries are still required
An e-Manifest meets Customs' manifesting and advance notification requirements, but it doesn't meet its entry requirements. Entries must still be filed electronically by the Importer of Record or by a US Customs Broker.
Entries differ from manifests in that they describe the commercial transaction, including buyer, seller, declared value, and other details the carrier may not have. Manifest information focuses on where a shipment is picked up, where it is delivered, and its quantity and weight.