[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 140 (Monday, July 24, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34319-34320]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-15441]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. Customs and Border Protection


Extension of the Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) Pilot Program

AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, DHS.

ACTION: General notice.

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SUMMARY: On October 24, 2012, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 
published a notice in the Federal Register that announced the 
formalization and expansion of the Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) 
pilot program that would run for six months. CBP subsequently published 
several notices extending the pilot period and/or reopening the 
application period to new participants for limited periods. The most 
recent notice extended the pilot period through July 26, 2017. This 
document announces that CBP is extending the pilot period for an 
additional year. The ACAS pilot is a voluntary test in which 
participants submit a subset of required advance air cargo data to CBP 
at the earliest point practicable prior to loading of the cargo onto 
the aircraft destined to or transiting through the United States.

DATES: CBP is extending the ACAS pilot program through July 26, 2018. 
Comments concerning any aspect of the announced test may be submitted 
at any time during the test period.

ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning program, policy, and technical 
issues may be submitted via email to [email protected]. In the subject 
line of the email, please use ``Comment on ACAS pilot''.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Craig Clark, Cargo and Conveyance 
Security, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, 
via email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On October 24, 2012, CBP published a general notice in the Federal 
Register (77 FR 65006, corrected in 77 FR 65395\1\) that announced the 
formalization and expansion of the ACAS pilot. The notice provided a 
description of the ACAS pilot, set forth eligibility requirements for 
participation, and invited public comments on any aspect of the test. 
In brief, the ACAS pilot revises the time frame for pilot participants 
to transmit a subset of mandatory advance electronic information for 
air cargo. CBP regulations implementing the Trade Act of 2002 specify 
the required data elements and the time frame for submitting them to 
CBP. Pursuant to title 19, Code of Federal Regulations (19 CFR) 
122.48a, the required advance information for air cargo must be 
submitted no later than the time of departure of the aircraft for the 
United States (from specified locations) or four hours prior to arrival 
in the United States for all other locations.
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    \1\ This Federal Register notice, published on October 26, 2012, 
corrected the email address under the ADDRESSES heading for 
submitting applications or comments. The correct email address is 
[email protected].
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    The ACAS pilot is a voluntary test in which participants agree to 
submit a subset of the required 19 CFR 122.48a data elements (ACAS 
data) at the earliest point practicable prior to loading of the cargo 
onto the aircraft destined to or transiting through the United States. 
The ACAS data is used to target high-risk air cargo. CBP intends to 
amend the CBP regulations to incorporate ACAS as an ongoing regulatory 
program. The results of the ACAS pilot will help determine the relevant 
data elements, the time frame within which data must be submitted to 
permit CBP to effectively target, identify and mitigate any risk with 
the least practicable impact on trade operations, and any other related 
procedures and policies.

Extension of the ACAS Pilot Period

    The October 2012 notice announced that the ACAS pilot would run for 
six months. The notice provided that if CBP determined that the pilot 
period should be extended, CBP would publish another notice in the 
Federal Register. The October 2012 notice also stated that applications 
for new ACAS pilot participants would be accepted until November 23, 
2012. CBP subsequently published several notices extending the pilot 
period and/or reopening the application period to new participants for 
limited periods. On December 26, 2012, CBP published a notice in the 
Federal Register (77 FR 76064) reopening the application period for new 
participants until January 8, 2013. On January 3, 2013, the Federal 
Register published a correction (78 FR 315) stating that the correct 
date of the close of the reopened application period was

[[Page 34320]]

January 10, 2013. On April 23, 2013, CBP published a notice in the 
Federal Register (78 FR 23946) extending the ACAS pilot period through 
October 26, 2013, and reopening the application period through May 23, 
2013. On October 23, 2013, CBP published a notice in the Federal 
Register (78 FR 63237) extending the ACAS pilot period through July 26, 
2014, and reopening the application period through December 23, 2013. 
On July 28, 2014, CBP published a notice in the Federal Register (79 FR 
43766) extending the ACAS pilot period through July 26, 2015, and 
reopening the application period through September 26, 2014. On July 
27, 2015, CBP published a notice in the Federal Register (80 FR 44360) 
extending the ACAS pilot period through July 26, 2016, and reopening 
the application period through October 26, 2015. Finally, on July 22, 
2016, CBP published a notice in the Federal Register (81 FR 47812) 
extending the ACAS pilot period through July 26, 2017, without 
reopening the application period.
    Each extension of the pilot period and reopening of the application 
period allowed for a significant increase in the diversity and number 
of pilot participants. The current pilot participants now represent a 
strong sample size of the air cargo community and new pilot 
participants are not being accepted.
    To address air cargo security vulnerabilities, CBP intends to amend 
the CBP regulations to incorporate ACAS as an ongoing regulatory 
program. The regulation will take into account the results of the pilot 
and the concerns of industry. CBP would like the pilot to continue 
during the rulemaking process to provide continuity in the flow of 
advance air cargo security information and serve as a partial stop-gap 
security measure. CBP would also like to continue to provide pilot 
participants with the additional opportunity to adjust and test 
business procedures and operations in preparation for the forthcoming 
rule.
    For these reasons, CBP is extending the ACAS pilot period through 
July 26, 2018.

    Date: July 18, 2017.
Todd C. Owen,
Executive Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations.
[FR Doc. 2017-15441 Filed 7-21-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9111-14-P