[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 247 (Tuesday, December 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77404-77405]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-22036]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Bureau of Customs and Border Protection


 Automated Commercial Environment (ACE): National Customs 
Automation Program Test of Automated Truck Manifest for Truck Carrier 
Accounts; Deployment Schedule

AGENCY: Customs and Border Protection; Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION: General notice.

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[[Page 77405]]

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, in conjunction 
with the Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety 
Administration, is currently conducting a National Customs Automation 
Program (NCAP) test concerning the transmission of automated truck 
manifest data. This document announces the next group, or cluster, of 
ports to be deployed for this test.

DATES: The ports identified in this notice, in the State of Vermont, 
are expected to be fully deployed for testing by December 31, 2006. 
Comments concerning this notice and all aspects of the announced test 
may be submitted at any time during the test period.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. James Swanson via e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) test concerning the 
transmission of automated truck manifest data for truck carrier 
accounts was announced in a General Notice published in the Federal 
Register (69 FR 55167) on September 13, 2004. That notice stated that 
the test of the Automated Truck Manifest would be conducted in a phased 
approach, with primary deployment scheduled for no earlier than 
November 29, 2004.
    A series of Federal Register notices have announced the 
implementation of the test, beginning with a notice published on May 
31, 2005 (70 FR 30964). As described in that document, the deployment 
sites for the test have been phased in as clusters. The ports 
identified belonging to the first cluster were announced in the May 31, 
2005, notice. Additional clusters were announced in subsequent notices 
published in the Federal Register including: 70 FR 43892, published on 
July 29, 2005; 70 FR 60096, published on October 14, 2005; 71 FR 3875, 
published on January 24, 2006; 71 FR 23941, published on April 25, 
2006; and 71 FR 42103, published on July 25, 2006.

New Cluster

    Through this notice, CBP announces that the next cluster of ports 
to be brought up for purposes of deployment of the test, to be fully 
deployed by December 31, 2006, will be all ports in the State of 
Vermont. This deployment is for purposes of the test of the 
transmission of automated truck manifest data only; the Automated 
Commercial Environment (ACE) Truck Manifest System is not yet the 
mandated transmission system for these ports. The ACE Truck Manifest 
System will become the mandatory transmission system in these ports 
only after publication in the Federal Register of 90 days notice, as 
explained by CBP in the Federal Register notice published on October 
27, 2006 (71 FR 62922).

Previous NCAP Notices Not Concerning Deployment Schedules

    On Monday, March 21, 2005, a General Notice was published in the 
Federal Register (70 FR 13514) announcing a modification to the NCAP 
test to clarify that all relevant data elements are required to be 
submitted in the automated truck manifest submission. That notice did 
not announce any change to the deployment schedule and is not affected 
by publication of this notice. All requirements and aspects of the 
test, as set forth in the September 13, 2004 notice, as modified by the 
March 21, 2005 notice, continue to be applicable.

    Dated: December 18, 2006.
Jayson P. Ahern,
Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations.
[FR Doc. E6-22036 Filed 12-22-06; 8:45 am]
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