Listed below are some of the terms and abbreviations used in discussing customs and border crossing issues.

ACE – Automated Commercial Environment is the commercial trade processing system being developed by CBP to facilitate legitimate trade and strengthen border security.

ACS – U.S. Customs Automated Commercial System

ATS – Automated Targeting System

BCS – Border Cargo Selectivity

CCRA – Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, the agency that issues CSA certifications. Carriers transmit border crossing shipment information to this entity to facilitate rapid customs processing.

CSA – Customs Self Assessment, securing CSA certification allows a carrier to provide expedient and secure transportation services to you on all international shipments. Established by the CCRA, the CSA certification process consists of assessment of a shipper, broker or transportation provider’s accounting and payment processes for imported goods originating from U.S. manufacturers. CSA-certification focus is on improved data collection and processing to increase cross-border efficiency. To qualify for CSA-expedited shipping, the carrier, driver and Canadian importer all must be CSA-certified. The CSA program will allow the importer to submit payments once a month compared to numerous single transactions. All entities in the clearance process, i.e. importer, carrier, driver must be accepted into the program and be approved in order to participate.

CBP – U.S. Customs Border Protection, the single unified border agency of the United States, with a mission to protect America and the American people.

C-TPAT – U.S. Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) is a program of the U.S. Customs Service (USCS) and works in conjunction with PIP and is intended to tighten border security while keeping the border open to the free flow of known, low-risk legitimate trade. C-TPAT is a prerequisite, along with PIP, to obtain Free and Secure Trade (FAST) certification. C-TPAT is a program for U.S. importers.

FAST – Free and Secure Trade (FAST) is a joint U.S./Canada program to tighten border security while keeping the border open to the free flow of known, low-risk legitimate trade. C-TPAT and PIP are prerequisites to obtain this certification. To quality, documented, verifiable security programs consistent with C-TPAT guidelines must be in place.

To qualify for FAST expedited clearance, the commercial shipment must be:

• entered by a C-TPAT approved importer. Importers must participate in C-TPAT;
• carried by FAST/C-TPAT approved U.S./Canada border highway carriers;
• Driven by FAST approved commercial drivers.

INPARS – Inland Pre-Arrival Review System. Freight clears customs while en route to the customs warehouse. 

 

PARS – Pre-Arrival Review System allows for release information to be processed before the arrival of goods at the border.

NCAP – National Customs Automation Program processing for FAST began December 2002. NCAP is the first completely paperless, cargo-release mechanism U.S. Customs has implemented. Customs achieves this paperless processing through electronic data transmissions and transponder technology.  NCAP allows for expedited release of compliant cargo, reducing congestion at land borders. NCAP is the first step toward account-based processing; each participant is pre-approved and assigned an Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) ID. Further NCAP programming must occur under ACE so Customs can achieve account-based (periodic billing) entry summary.

PAPS – Pre-Arrival Processing System is a U.S. Customs Automated Commercial System (ACS), border cargo-release mechanism that uses barcode technology to expedite commercial-shipment release while still processing each shipment through Border Cargo Selectivity (BCS) and the Automated Targeting System (ATS).

Each PAPS shipment requires a unique barcode label, which the carrier attaches to the invoice and the truck manifest while the merchandise is in Canada. The barcode consists of the Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC) and freight bill number. Transportation providers fax the information ahead of the shipment to the U.S. Customs broker, who prepares a BCS entry in ACS. When the truck arrives at the border, the Customs Inspector scans the barcode, which automatically retrieves the entry information from ACS. If the shipment doesn't require examination, the Inspector releases the truck from the primary booth, reducing the carrier's wait time and easing congestion at the border.

PARS – Pre-Arrival Review System allows for release information to be processed before the arrival of goods at the border.

PIP – Partners in Protection (PIP) is a program of the Canadian Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) and works in conjunction with C-TPAT and is intended to tighten border security while keeping the border open to the free flow of known, low-risk legitimate trade. PIP is a program for Canadian importers.

Sufferance Warehouse – Sufferance warehouses are privately owned and operated facilities licensed by the CCRA for the short-term storage and the examination of imported goods pending release from customs. Sufferance warehouse keepers charge user fees to their clients for storage and handling. Your goods may stay in a sufferance warehouse for up to 40 days.

If you do not claim your goods from the sufferance warehouse after 40 days, ABF transfers them, at your expense, to a place of safekeeping. If this happens, we notify you that if your goods are not formally released and accounted for or exported within 30 days from the date of the notice, they will be forfeit to the federal government to dispose of accordingly. You are responsible for all reasonable expenses incurred by the CCRA in the disposal of your goods when they are disposed of other than by sale.