Most transmittal timeframes for advance electronic cargo information required under Section 343 of the Trade Act of 2002 were consistent with the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. However, rail exports and vessel exports received some minor clarification.
Rail exports initially required cargo information to be transmitted to the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection four hours prior to the attachment of the engine before going foreign. The final rule changed that timeframe to two hours prior to arrival at the border.
The timeframe for vessel exports was clarified from 24 hours prior to departure to 24 hours prior to departure from the U.S. port where the cargo is laden.
Other modes retained the timeframes contained in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.
The transition periods for imports were generally 90 days from publication of the final rule (Dec. 5, 2003). However, each mode contained additional qualifiers. For instance, the transition period for rail imports is 90 days after rail AMS (automated manifest system) is operational at the port.