ACAS Operational Update

_{Posted: 25th September 2024}

We continue to actively review cargo security requirements made by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including changes made to the ACAS Implementation Guide Version 2.3.1 effective 30th August 2024. 
 
Our teams are in collaboration with IATA and our partner airlines on the details of the ACAS Implementation Guide and its impact on our processes for shipments travelling to or through the U.S. 
 
We request customers review the changes made to the CBP ACAS Implementation Guide and FAQ documents, and begin preparing your systems to capture and send the required data elements. Further information on how this data is to be conveyed within the IATA standard messages, will be provided once IATA have issued updated guidance on the message formats. 
 
We recommend you pay particular attention to the new elements specified in Section 3.3.2 of the ACAS implementation Guide. You can find more information about the additional required data points at the link below, in the ACAS Implementation Guide and FAQ documents: 

On 5th September 2024, the Cargo Systems Messaging Service issued a bulletin (CSMS # 62081967) to notify all air carriers, freight forwarders and house filers that any shipments with ‘vague or unacceptable’ cargo descriptions will be rejected. 
 
The CBP has implemented a 30 day warning period to improve the data quality provided to the CBP and avoid delays to shipments. This warning period will end on 6th October 2024. Enforcement could result in shipment delays and/or holds for failure to provide precise descriptions. You can find out more information on examples of acceptable and unacceptable cargo descriptions at the link below.

For general questions, or concerns about specific vague description cargo messages, please email OFO-ManifestBranch@cbp.dhs.gov

We’re committed to ensuring the safety and security of your shipments and will provide more information on necessary procedures and security measures as it becomes available. 
 
Thank you in advance for your attention to these changes. 
 
Virgin Atlantic Cargo