Beginning January 25, 2021, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will require the mandatory filing of its “Core” partner government agency (PGA) message set in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). This programming change will shift licensing, permits, and the data required for entry processing to ACE for APHIS-regulated plants, plant products, or live dog imports. Future stages of the PGA message set rollout are anticipated to include other live animal imports. The APHIS Core message sets include the Plant Protection & Quarantine (APQ), Veterinary Services (AVS), Biological Regulatory Services (ABS), and Animal Care (AAC) programs.

What You Should Do Now
APHIS published a reminder on December 21st of the upcoming move to ACE; the bulletin strongly recommended that “stakeholders begin using it now.” In preparation for these changes, Deringer encourages customers to:

• Understand the APHIS Core regulatory requirements of your goods. As explained in the APHIS Supplemental Trade Guide, “some HTSUS codes are too general and have both regulated and non-regulated commodities within them.” Commodity-specific guidance can be found on the APHIS Imports and Exports webpage.
• As soon as possible, reach out to a Deringer customer service center to ensure we receive the necessary information for your entry processing as required by the APHIS Core message set. To ensure your compliance, do not wait until the mandatory use date of January 25th.
• Begin using APHIS eFile to obtain the permits, registrations, and licenses required to import your commodities.

Available Resources
Many resources are available to understand the new APHIS Core requirements better:

• Deringer published a comprehensive APHIS Core Resources document with a list of helpful online manuals, FAQs, and explanations.
• A series of six webinars are available on the APHIS website covering a general overview of APHIS Core, fresh fruits and vegetables, cut flowers, animal products, miscellaneous and processed products, seeds not for planting, and plants for planting.
• The most commonly asked questions about the APHIS Core message set is also posted on the APHIS website.