(a) General requirement. Pursuant to section 343(a), Trade Act of 2002, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2071 note), in addition to the advance filing requirements pursuant to § 122.48a, for any inbound aircraft required to make entry under § 122.41, that will have commercial cargo aboard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) must electronically receive from the inbound air carrier and/or another eligible ACAS filer, as specified in paragraph (c) of this section, certain information concerning the inbound cargo, as enumerated in paragraph (d) of this section. CBP must receive such information, known as ACAS data, no later than the time frame prescribed in paragraph (b) of this section. The transmission of the required ACAS data to CBP (ACAS filing) must be effected through a CBP-approved electronic data interchange system. Any ACAS referrals must be resolved in accordance with the provisions and time frame prescribed in paragraph (e) of this section. Any Do-Not-Load (DNL) instruction must be addressed in accordance with the provisions prescribed in paragraph (f) of this section.

(b) Time frame for presenting data. (1) Initial filing. The ACAS data must be submitted as early as practicable, but no later than prior to loading of the cargo onto the aircraft.

(2) Update of ACAS filing. The party who submitted the initial ACAS filing pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section must update the initial filing if, after the filing is submitted, any of the submitted data changes or more accurate data becomes available. Updates are required up until the time frame specified in § 122.48a(b) for submitting advance information under § 122.48a(a).

(c) Parties filing ACAS data—(1) Inbound air carrier. If no other eligible party elects to file the ACAS data, the inbound air carrier must file the ACAS data. If another eligible party does elect to file ACAS data, the inbound air carrier may also choose to file the ACAS data.

(2) Other filers. The following entities can elect to be ACAS filers, provided they also meet the ACAS filer requirements in paragraph (c)(3) of this section:

(i) All parties eligible to elect to file advance electronic cargo data listed in § 122.48a(c); and

(ii) Foreign Indirect Air Carriers. For purposes of this section, “foreign indirect air carrier” (FIAC) is defined as any person, not a citizen of the United States, who undertakes indirectly to engage in the air transportation of property. A FIAC may volunteer to be an ACAS filer and accept responsibility for the submission of accurate and timely ACAS filings, as well as for taking the necessary action to address any referrals and Do-Not-Load (DNL) instructions when applicable.

(3) ACAS filer requirements. All inbound air carriers and other entities electing to be ACAS filers must:

(i) Establish the communication protocol required by CBP for properly transmitting an ACAS filing through a CBP-approved electronic data interchange system;

(ii) Possess the appropriate bond containing all the necessary provisions of § 113.62, § 113.63, or § 113.64 of this chapter;

(iii) Report all of the originator codes that will be used to file ACAS data. If at any time, ACAS filers wish to utilize additional originator codes to file ACAS data, the originator code must be reported to CBP prior to its use; and

(iv) Provide 24 hours/7 days a week contact information consisting of a telephone number and email address. CBP will use the 24 hours/7 days a week contact information to notify, communicate, and carry out response protocols for Do-Not-Load (DNL) instructions, even if an electronic message is sent.

(4) Nonparticipation by other party. If a party specified in paragraph (c)(2) of this section does not participate in an ACAS filing, the party that arranges for and/or delivers the cargo to the inbound air carrier must fully disclose and present to the inbound air carrier the required cargo data listed in paragraph (d) of this section; and the inbound air carrier must present this data electronically to CBP under paragraph (a) of this section.

(5) Required information in possession of third party. Any other entity in possession of required ACAS data that is not the inbound air carrier or a party described in paragraph (c)(2) of this section must fully disclose and present the required data for the inbound air cargo to either the inbound air carrier or other eligible ACAS filer, as applicable, which must present such data to CBP.

(6) Party receiving information believed to be accurate. Where the party electronically presenting the cargo data required in paragraph (d) of this section receives any of this data from another party, CBP will take into consideration how, in accordance with ordinary commercial practices, the presenting party acquired such information, and whether and how the presenting party is able to verify this information. Where the presenting party is not reasonably able to verify such information, CBP will permit the party to electronically present the data on the basis of what that party reasonably believes to be true.

(d) ACAS data elements. Some of the ACAS data elements are mandatory in all circumstances, one is conditional and is required only in certain circumstances, and others are optional. The definitions of the mandatory and conditional ACAS data elements are set forth in § 122.48a.

(1) Mandatory data elements. The following data elements are required to be submitted at the lowest air waybill level (i.e., at the house air waybill level if applicable) by all ACAS filers:

(i) Shipper name and address;

(ii) Consignee name and address;

(iii) Cargo description;

(iv) Total quantity based on the smallest external packing unit;

(v) Total weight of cargo; and

(vi) Air waybill number. The air waybill number must be the same in the filing required by this section and the filing required by § 122.48a.

(2) Conditional data element: Master air waybill number. The master air waybill (MAWB) number for each leg of the flight is a conditional data element. The MAWB number is a required data element in the following circumstances; otherwise, the submission of the MAWB number is optional, but encouraged:

(i) When the ACAS filer is a different party than the party that will file the advance electronic air cargo data required by § 122.48a. To allow for earlier submission of the ACAS filing, the initial ACAS filing may be submitted without the MAWB number, as long as the MAWB number is later submitted by the ACAS filer or the inbound air carrier according to the applicable ACAS time frame for data submission in paragraph (b) of this section; or

(ii) When the ACAS filer is transmitting all the data elements required by § 122.48a according to the applicable ACAS time frame for data submission; or

(iii) When the inbound air carrier would like to receive from CBP a check on the ACAS status of a specific shipment. If the MAWB number is submitted, either by the ACAS filer or the inbound air carrier, CBP will provide this information to the inbound air carrier upon request.

(3) Optional data elements—(i) Second Notify Party. The ACAS filer may choose to designate a Second Notify Party to receive shipment status messages from CBP.

(ii) Any additional data elements listed in § 122.48a or any additional information regarding ACAS data elements (e.g., telephone number, email address, and/or internet protocol address for shipper and/or consignee) may be provided and are encouraged.

(e) ACAS referrals—(1) Potential referrals. There are two types of referrals that may be issued by CBP after a risk assessment of an ACAS submission:

(i) Referral for information. A referral for information will be issued if a risk assessment of the cargo cannot be conducted due to non-descriptive, inaccurate, or insufficient data. This can be due to typographical errors, vague cargo descriptions, and/or unverifiable information; and

(ii) Referral for screening. A referral for screening will be issued if the potential risk of the cargo is deemed high enough to warrant enhanced screening. A referral for screening must be resolved according to TSA-approved enhanced screening methods.

(2) ACAS referral resolution. All ACAS filers and/or inbound air carriers, as applicable, must respond to and take the necessary action to address all referrals as provided in paragraphs (e)(2)(i)-(ii) of this section, no later than prior to departure of the aircraft. The appropriate protocols and time frame for taking the necessary action to address these referrals must be followed as directed. The parties responsible for taking the necessary action to address ACAS referrals are as follows:

(i) Referral for information. The ACAS filer is responsible for taking the necessary action to address a referral for information. The last party to file the ACAS data is responsible for such action. For instance, the inbound air carrier is responsible for taking the necessary action to address a referral for information if the inbound air carrier retransmits an original ACAS filer's data and the referral is issued after this retransmission.

(ii) Referral for screening. As provided in paragraph (e)(1)(ii) of this section, a referral for screening must be resolved according to TSA-approved enhanced screening methods. If the ACAS filer is a party recognized by TSA to perform screening, the ACAS filer may address a referral for screening directly; if the ACAS filer is a party other than the inbound air carrier and chooses not to address the referral for screening or is not a party recognized by TSA to perform screening, the ACAS filer must notify the inbound air carrier of the referral for screening. The inbound air carrier is responsible for taking the necessary action to address a referral for screening, unless another ACAS filer recognized by TSA to perform screening has taken such action.

(3) Prohibition on transporting cargo with unresolved ACAS referrals. The inbound air carrier may not transport cargo on an aircraft destined to the United States until any and all referrals issued pursuant to paragraph (e)(1) of this section with respect to such cargo have been resolved.

(f) Do-Not-Load (DNL) instructions. (1) A Do-Not-Load (DNL) instruction will be issued if it is determined that the cargo may contain a potential bomb, improvised explosive device, or other material that may pose an immediate, lethal threat to the aircraft and its vicinity.

(2) As provided in paragraph (c)(3)(iv) of this section, all ACAS filers must provide a telephone number and email address that is monitored 24 hours/7 days a week in case a Do-Not-Load (DNL) instruction is issued. All ACAS filers and/or inbound air carriers, as applicable, must respond and fully cooperate when the entity is reached by phone and/or email when a Do-Not-Load (DNL) instruction is issued. The party with physical possession of the cargo will be required to carry out the Do-Not-Load (DNL) protocols and the directions provided by law enforcement authorities.

(3) The inbound air carrier may not transport cargo with a Do-Not-Load (DNL) instruction.