Automated Commercial System

The Customs Service's Automated Commercial System, ACS, is a joint
public-private sector computerized data processing and telecommunications
system linking customhouses, members of the import trade community, and
other government agencies with the Customs computer.

Trade users file import data electronically, receive needed information on
cargo status, and query Customs files to prepare submissions. Duties,
taxes, and fees may be paid by electronic statement, through a
Treasury-approved clearinghouse bank. ACS contains the import data used by
Census to prepare U.S. foreign trade statistics. ACS began operating in
February 1984 and includes: (a) the Automated Broker Interface, (b) the
Census Interface System, (c) the Automated Manifest Systems,
(d) the Bond System, (e) the In-Bond System, (f) the Cargo Selectivity
System, (g) the Line Release System, (h) the Collections System, (i) the
Security System, (j) the Quota System, (k) the Entry Summary Selectivity
System, (l) the Entry Summary System, (m) the Automated Information
Exchange, (n) the Antidumping/Countervailing Duty System, (o) the Firms
System, (p) the Liquidation System, (q) the Drawback System, (r) the Fines,
Penalties, and Forfeitures System, and (s) the Protest System.