ACE Portal Modernization - Phase 3

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) began gradually deploying Phase 3 of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Portal Modernization in December 2022. Phase 3 changes include updates to the References tab and the migration of other functionality from the legacy ACE Portal to the modernized platform.  

What changes will trade and partner government agency (PGA) users see in the modernized ACE Portal?

CBP will alert users of the specific deployment dates for the following changes in advance to ensure that users have sufficient time to prepare to use the migrated functionality in the modernized ACE Portal.  

• Document Upload and Management Tools 
  • Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) and Facility operators will begin using an updated folder system to manage their documentation in the modernized ACE Portal. As part of this update, all documents previously accessible in the legacy ACE Portal will be migrated and available in the modernized platform. 
• Blanket Declaration Tools 
  • Importers and customs brokers will begin creating and cancelling Blanket Declarations in the modernized ACE Portal. 
  • A new status will be introduced for Blanket Declarations for NAFTA/USMCA imports. Once the Blanket Declaration is created, the record status will show as “Pending – Document Upload Needed” until the required Certificate of Origin documentation is uploaded. Once the required documentation is successfully uploaded, the record status will be updated to “Active.” 
    • Note: The “Pending” status will not appear in the legacy ACE Portal. This is a new feature that will only be visible in the modernized ACE Portal. 
• Create/Edit Functionality for All Account Types 
  • All applicable account information for all account types will become editable for trade and PGA users, based on user/account type and access level. 
  • Trade users will be able to create new accounts, based on user/account type and access level. 
• In-bond Authorizations 
  • From the modernized ACE Portal, carriers with an Activity Code 2 (C2) (Custodian of Bonded Merchandise) Bond will be able to authorize additional users to obligate their bond. 
• User Access Management for Trade Users 
  • Account Owners (AO) and other applicable account users will be able to manage their account access in the modernized ACE Portal. 
• Granting of Cross-account Access 
  • From the modernized ACE Portal, AOs will be able to grant Top Account access to another AO. AOs who receive cross-account access from another AO may then extend cross-account access to other users within their account.   
• References Tab Updates 
  • CBP will deploy the following ACE application links in the modernized ACE Portal: 
    • Links for Trade Users 
      • AES Direct (Deployed 1/10/23) 
      • ACE Forms 
      • Truck Manifest Trade Portal 
    • Links for PGA Users 
      • Multi-Modal Manifest (Deployed 1/10/23) 
      • AES (Deployed 1/10/23) 
      • PGA Data Processing 
      • Document Image System (DIS) 
      • FTZ 
      • Government Client Manifest Capability (GCMC) 
  • CBP will alert users of References tab updates as they occur. When  functionality becomes accessible via the modernized ACE Portal, parallel access to the same functionality via the legacy ACE Portal will remain for an interim period, giving users sufficient time to adjust to accessing the functionality in the modernized ACE Portal.  

What additional resources are available?

• Training
  • ACE Portal Modernization training resources for Phase 3 are forthcoming and will be available on the ACE Training and References webpage.
• Deployment Support Calls
  • The Trade Transformation Office (TTO) will conduct Deployment Support Calls for trade and PGA users, as needed. Specific call schedule information will be provided as calls are scheduled.
• Additional Support
  • For questions about the ACE Portal Modernization, contact ACEPortalModHelp@cbp.dhs.gov.
  • For technical issues, contact the CBP ACE Account Service Desk (ASD) at (866) 530-4172 or ace.support@cbp.dhs.gov.