U.S. Customs and Border Protection published in the Federal Register details regarding voluntary test commencing August 22, 2019.  The purpose of the year-long pilot is to have participants provide additional data elements CBP can use to screen and target high risk Section 321 shipments entering the United States.

Presently CBP is processing 1.8 million shipments a day and expects the volume to increase exponentially with the ever-increasing number of e-commerce shipments.  This pilot will be used to develop and evaluate tools they can use to target shipments.   Some of the technology they are testing may be quite advanced when you consider comparing pictures or digital images to VACIS scans. 

CBP is looking to implement the pilot on shipments entering into the United States via air, truck or rail and is looking for eligible applicants within the e-commerce vendors, carriers, customs brokers, freight forwarders, on-line market places.  Participants will be required to provide additional available data elements based on the participant's function(s) within the supply chain.  CBP will be combine and compare the data from multiple participants to target high risk shipments.   Initially the pilot will include 9 participants but may expanded to include additional participants in the future.  Once the pilot has been completed it will be evaluated to determine whether it should be expanded to include additional participants and whether additional mandatory advanced reporting requirements are necessary in the e-commerce environment.