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<p>Sorry to report that there have been no advances on any front. In
fact, we seem to be going backwards, notwithstanding the sincere
intent of the CBP staffer we have been dealing with to help sort
this out.</p>
<p>The biggest part of the problem is that the staffers in the
headquarters in DC seem to have little idea of what actually
happens at the ports. Thus, they have given us inaccurate
information in more than one instance. Having become skeptical of
the information they provide generally, we have to take the time
to verify what they have said. Most recently, one said that the
Customs officers in the passenger terminals do not have access to
the ACE Portal and therefore could not verify the authenticity of
the ACE entry number obtained for you by a broker. That seemed
incredible to me - why have this system if it can't be used in the
passenger terminals? - so I asked them (five months ago) to
verify that statement. They have never done so. I contacted three
ports (NY, Baltimore, and New Orleans) and was told by all three
that the Customs officers in the ports do have access to the ACE
portal and they can also verify ACE entry numbers by calling the
CBP cargo office. In addition, the customs broker we have
recommended to all of you (<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.jsconnor.com/">John S. Connor</a>) verified
that the Customs officers in the passenger terminals have access
to the ACE portal. <br>
</p>
<p>I relayed this information to our liaison in CBP HQ. <br>
</p>
<p>I have also tried to persuade them to do a field trip to BWI so
we could all see in person how a hand-carry works in terms of
USFWS, CBP AG, and Customs. To them, the actual operations seem to
be a black box. They have not agreed to this request. <br>
</p>
<p>For now, the situation from the importer's point of view remains
the same:</p>
<p>1. Legally, your import is eligible for informal entry under the
regulations. Informal entry means the same process you have been
using for years. Show up, present the required permits, check yes
on box 11b (wildlife), go to the CBP ag inspection station, done.
There are lots of best practices and tips for making this work
(never arrive on a weekend or at night, for instance).</p>
<p>However, the system is inherently arbitrary. <font face="Times
New Roman, Times, serif">The regulation (143.22) and from CBP
practice ("one articulable fact" which includes "permits are
required") that although the informal entry is permissible,
there is a great deal of arbitrariness in the process and
therefore a great deal of uncertainty. Moreover, some Customs
officers seem to believe that a formal entry is required simply
because of the GPA requirements and CBP has, to date, refused to
provide guidance regarding USFWS and APHIS as to willingness to
continue to accept paper declarations, i.e., informal entry is
still allowed.</font><br>
</p>
<p>§<i> 143.22 Formal entry may be required.</i><i><br>
</i><i>CBP may require a formal consumption or appraisement entry
for any merchandise</i><i><br>
</i><i>if deemed necessary for import admissibility enforcement
purposes; revenue</i><i><br>
</i><i>protection; or the efficient conduct of customs business.
Individual shipments for the</i><i><br>
</i><i>same consignee, when such shipments are valued at $2,500 or
less, may be</i><i><br>
</i><i>consolidated on one such entry.</i></p>
<p>Thus, to paraphrase one of the CBP HQ staffers who is apparently
deemed an expert despite the fact that this individual has been
the source of most of the misinformation, "importing is a crap
shoot."</p>
<p>The goal of the OC is to reduce the uncertainty in this process
and as there has been little progress on the informal entry front,
we have been focusing on doing formal entries via ACE, which
requires a broker.<br>
<i></i></p>
<p>2. Use a broker to file a formal entry in ACE. This reduces the
uncertainty to near zero, though I was made aware of one situation
a couple of weeks ago where a Customs officer was given the ACE
entry number but still required a secondary review of the permits.
People and training seem to be a huge problem in CBP. That ACE
entry number means that all agencies have cleared the import.
Again, we recommend <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.jsconnor.com/">John S. Connor</a> (no, they do
not contribute funding to the OC or in any way offer us
remuneration for the recommendation; it is because they are
working with us on the intricacies of wildlife imports). You will
need to give them a power of attorney. They have the form your
institution will need to sign. If your institution balks for some
reason (usually because they already have a customs broker) you
can sign it yourself.</p>
<p>As explained before, get the necessary paperwork (permits, 3-177,
etc) to them as far in advance of the actual import as possible so
if there are any problems, they can be resolved before you return
to the U.S.. They will file the declarations in ACE and get the
entry number to you via text and e-mail. Obviously, make sure your
phone has adequate batter and make sure it is turned on before you
leave to return to the U.S. or upon arrival. And, of course, write
it down. <br>
</p>
<p>Ellen<br>
</p>
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<div class="WordSection1">
Ellen Paul<br>
Executive Director<br>
<a href="https://birdnet.org/">Ornithological
Council</a><br>
Phone (301) 986 8568<br>
Providing Scientific Information about Birds
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