eManifest is designed to ensure that details of imports (ie. shipments and trips) entering the U.S. and Canada are known to CBP and CBSA before the goods arrive at the border. The U.S. system is known as the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), while its Canadian counterpart is called Advance Commercial Information (ACI).

ACE eManifest is a mandatory program for all carriers crossing U.S. land border ports. Canada’s ACI program is in Informed Compliance until the spring of 2014 after which time ACI eManifest submissions will be mandatory, and noncompliance punishable.

For every cross-border trip, you are required to electronically set up and submit your manifests to U.S. and Canada Customs, using an eManifest solution, such as the solutions eCustoms offers.

When you submit your manifest, CBP/CBSA sends a notification to your email, mobile phone, iPad, or pager. Once you have received the “accepted” message, you can cross the border one hour later, or a half-hour later for FAST carriers.

Once your eManifest has been approved, you can arrive at the border, present your ACE or ACI cover sheet, and your eManifest information is retrieved. After matching with the broker submission, you are set to go. The CBP or CBSA Officer (depending on your direction) will either release the truck at primary, or refer the truck to secondary for further processing.

eCustoms offers you the option of using our easy-to-use and powerful eManifest software solution to submit your own manifests. Or if you prefer, we can submit manifests for you using our Fax ‘N’ Go service.

Our solutions are designed to make the submission process as simple and straightforward as possible. Once you’ve set up your profile and templates in the eManifest software solution, you can create and submit manifests in less than two minutes!

Yes, U.S. CBP offers a free ACE portal on its website, as does CBSA on its website. We welcome you giving them a test run, but neither was designed to support carriers crossing the border regularly, nor do they share data. In that sense, our solutions have capabilities you won’t find in other systems.

The Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC) is a unique four letter code used to identify carriers to CBP. You must have a valid SCAC code to submit eManifests through the ACE system. For more information visit http://www.nmfta.org/.

A carrier code is a four-character unique identifier that is assigned by the CBSA to identify a carrier. You must have a valid Carrier Code to submit eManifests to CBSA. For more information visit http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/services/carrier-transporteur/menu-eng.html.

For non-submission of eManifests to CBP, the truck will be turned back and the carrier fined thousands of dollars. The same is true for Canada-bound shipments.