US - Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) - Update 2 Rejection of Vague Descriptions in ACAS for US - from 12 Nov 2024

Further to previous member notice on the US nationwide rejection of vague cargo descriptions in Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS), Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) and the Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA) have received an update from Qantas Freight.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have announced that the new policy, for the nationwide rejection of vague cargo descriptions in Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) for any freight arriving or transiting in the US, will now take effect from 12pm (EST) on 12 November 2024.
From this date, ACAS files will need to include more detailed cargo descriptions. Any non-compliant, vague descriptors will be rejected and freight will not be loaded at origin until the cargo descriptions have been amended to be compliant.

Following is the full Qantas Freight announcement:
 

Rejection of Vague Descriptions in ACAS for US - from 12 Nov 2024

Published 9 October 2024

On 4 September 2024, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced a nationwide rejection of vague cargo descriptions in Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) for any freight arriving or transiting in the US.

The new policy will now take effect from 12pm (EST) on 12 November 2024.

From this date, ACAS files will need to include more detailed cargo descriptions. Any non-compliant, vague descriptors will be rejected and freight will not be loaded at origin until the cargo descriptions have been amended to be compliant.

Please note that if a hold is placed on one HAWB, the entire MAWB will not be uplifted. If a MAWB/HAWB is co-loaded on a ULD with other MAWBs, the entire ULD will be held from uplift.

Visit the US CBP for more information about acceptable descriptions and Cargo Systems Messaging Service rejection messages. 

Members are strongly encouraged to review the US CBP information provided by Qantas Freight to ensure they are compliant.

Further information is also available on the Qantas Freight and US Customs & Border Protection - ACAS websites.

FTA will also provide further updates via the FTA website.