[Nhcoll-l] Update on the Customs Entry (ACE) system

[Ellen Paul]

1. Awaiting info from the Customs and Border Protection as to what, if 
anything, can be done to simplify the system for wildlife research 
imports. There are two tiers - informal and formal. It seems to hinge on 
the value of the import and since yours have no commercial value, it 
would be the informal entry tier. Although both require the use of this 
ACE entry system, so not clear how classifying these as informal will 
solve the ACE entry problem.

Realize that anyone can register - and I'm still awaiting info on the 
registration process - and enter the data themselves. The information 
required for informal entry is apparently simpler and easier. In 
addition, you can file on paper - I have the forms and instructions and 
I'm working through "translating" the abbreviations and codes and 
explaining where to find the required info. However, it is not clear 
that you can use the paper forms at the airport. Based on the experience 
last week, it seems that Customs at the airport holds the material and 
sends you elsewhere to file them and then you can retrieve your samples. 
Unless you live close to the airport where you entered the U.S., this is 
unworkable. And even if you do, what a pain and waste of time. Realize 
that this was a sample size of one. We don't know if this would be the 
case at every airport. Again, awaiting info from CBP on this.

2. I have had a long and productive discussion with SEKO Logisitics, a 
very large, very sophisticated freight forwarder and customs brokerage 
based in Detroit. I came across this particular brokerage because their 
Director of Compliance serves on the ACE Working Group for the USFWS. 
When I first wrote to Trudy Rutland at Customs, she brought Sandra 
Scott, who has decades of experience, into the discussion. I asked 
Sandra if her company could help with the hand-carry import that got 
stuck at CBP in Detroit last week and she had her office contact me 
within two minutes.

They are going to prepare a proposal for handling the imports and 
exports of the wildlife research community and I will distribute it to 
all of you. They are willing to develop the expertise to deal with the 
USFWS and APHIS paperwork and procedures (through a close working 
relationship with the Ornithological Council and SPNHC) and can handle 
time-sensitive shipments such as frozen materials. They of course have 
IATA expertise. The idea here is that if everyone uses this broker, 
there will be enough transactions that it will be worthwhile for them to 
develop the expertise to handle your shipments - including those moving 
on CITES permits, i.e., dealing with validation - with special care and 
attention to the agency-specific requirements.

And of course, they would deal with this ACE entry system problem (which 
will apply to exports, too, in the future). Any customs broker could do 
that but the odds that any customs broker would have the requisite 
expertise to deal with the USFWS and APHIS complexities are slim because 
they just don't handle many transactions of this type. I know some of 
the larger museums and universities have relationships with a particular 
customs broker, but if they don't have expertise in wildlife shipments, 
there's no advantage to using those brokers.

FYI, on logisitics, they would need a power of attorney /from the permit 
holder/, not from the university, so that's one headache gone. They 
would need a copy of a photo ID and a copy of the Social Security card.

Ellen

-- 
Ellen Paul

Ellen Paul

Executive Director

Ornithological Council <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.nmnh.si.edu_BIRDNET&d=CwICaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=xNiurnMnHyPtgQ1T54RdNOxgjEwyMMxVRkyisX3AVHE&s=2eR9VBxH3ZNnQowOsO-iXNYQEnr38KVrGgAgZLmkh6I&e= >

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