Announced in the Federal Register is the first phase of mandatory compliance with the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) filing of truck e-manifests. Effective January 25, 2007, all carriers crossing at all U.S. ports of entry in the states of Washington and Arizona and at ports in North Dakota (at Pembina, Neche, Walhalla, Maida, Hannah, Sarles and Hansboro) are required to comply with ACE.
Subsequent to this, ACE will be required in phases at the remaining groups of U.S. ports 90 days after publication of a notice in the Federal Register for each group. They are Group 1: All ports of entry in the states of Michigan, Texas, California, New Mexico and New York; Group 2: All ports of entry in the states of Vermont and Alaska; Group 3: All ports of entry in the states of Maine, Idaho, and Montana; Group 4: All remaining ports of entry in the state of North Dakota; and, Group 5: All ports of entry in the state of Minnesota.
It is expected that the 90-day notice periods will be followed by an as yet undetermined period of “informed compliance.” Once that period expires, monetary penalties for non-compliance will come into play, and eventually trucks will not be able to enter the US without ACE.
