ACE

ACE — the Automated Commercial Environment — is CBP's primary system for processing import and export trade. It replaced the legacy Automated Commercial System (ACS) in a phased rollout beginning in 2015, with mandatory use for cargo release filings achieved in 2016. ACE operates as the U.S. single window for trade data — the single point of submission for CBP and the 47 Partner Government Agencies (PGAs) that have a role in import or export admissibility (FDA, USDA, EPA, FCC, ATF, and others).

Functions performed in ACE include:

• Entry filings — formal entry (Type 01), informal entry, Type 86 de minimis entry, in-bond movements
• Entry summary — final declaration of duties, fees, and taxes
• Manifest filings — vessel (AMS), air, truck (e-Manifest), rail
• ISF filings — 10+2 advance security data
• PGA submissions — Partner Government Agency data through the PGA Message Set
• Export filings — EEI through AES, which has been integrated into ACE
• Account reporting — drawback claims, reconciliation, post-summary corrections, liquidation results

ACE is accessed through two main channels: the ACE Secure Data Portal for human users, and through ABI (Automated Broker Interface) and AMI connections for programmatic filers using EDI.

ACE was built and is maintained by CBP's Office of Information and Technology with contractor support; it is one of the largest single-window customs systems in the world.