Other PGA permits, licenses and certificates

This glossary covers Other PGA permits, licenses and certificates terms used by importers, customs brokers and trade-compliance teams.

CPC

Children's Product Certificate (CPC): the certificate an importer (or domestic manufacturer) of a children's product must issue, based on third-party testing by a CPSC-accepted laboratory, certifying compliance with the applicable children's product safety rules, now eFiled in ACE at entry; not a General Certificate of Conformity and not a test report.

GCC

General Certificate of Conformity (GCC): the certificate an importer of a non-children's consumer product subject to a CPSC rule, ban, standard or regulation must issue based on a test of each product or a reasonable testing program, now eFiled in ACE at entry; not a Children's Product Certificate.

CPSC eFiling

CPSC eFiling: the CPSC program under which the certificate of compliance data (GCC or CPC) for a regulated consumer product is transmitted electronically in ACE at the time of entry through the PGA message set, as a full data set or a reference set pointing to the CPSC Product Registry; not a document upload.

CPSC certificate registry

CPSC certificate registry (the CPSC Product Registry): the CPSC portal where certifiers enter their certificates of compliance and receive the Certifier ID, Product ID and Version ID that the broker files in the ACE reference message set; not an ACE system and not a public database of certificates.

EPA 3520-1

EPA Form 3520-1: the Environmental Protection Agency declaration for imported highway motor vehicles and motor vehicle engines, on which the importer declares the import code that applies (certified, exempt, excluded, or nonconforming through an independent commercial importer) and the supporting data; not the NHTSA HS-7.

EPA 3520-21

EPA Form 3520-21: the EPA importation declaration for nonroad engines and equipment, stationary engines and heavy-duty highway engines (equipment engines, generators, marine and recreational engines), the nonroad counterpart of Form 3520-1; not a vehicle title document.

EPA 3540-1

EPA Form 3540-1: the Notice of Arrival of Pesticides and Devices, the notice an importer files with EPA before a pesticide or pesticide device arrives, on paper to the EPA region or electronically through the ACE EPA message set; not a pesticide registration.

TSCA certification

TSCA certification: the importer's certification at entry under section 13 of the Toxic Substances Control Act that a chemical substance or mixture complies with TSCA (positive certification) or is not subject to TSCA (negative certification), transmitted in ACE or written on the entry documents; not an EPA permit.

TSCA Title VI

TSCA Title VI: the formaldehyde emission standards for composite wood products (hardwood plywood, medium-density fiberboard, particleboard and finished goods containing them) under 40 CFR part 770, met at import by a positive TSCA certification on the entry plus supplier compliance statements and records; not a separate permit.

AIM Act HFC allowances

AIM Act HFC allowances: the consumption allowances the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act requires an importer to hold and expend to import bulk hydrofluorocarbons, administered by EPA under 40 CFR part 84 with an advance ACE filing before the shipment arrives; not the Aluminum Import Monitoring license.

EPA CDX

EPA Central Data Exchange (CDX): EPA's electronic reporting portal through which importers and manufacturers submit TSCA premanufacture notices, TSCA reports and other EPA program submissions that precede or accompany an import; not an ACE system and not a DIS upload.

HS-7

NHTSA Form HS-7: the Department of Transportation declaration (Importation of Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Equipment Subject to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety, Bumper and Theft Prevention Standards) on which the importer declares the basis for importing a vehicle or regulated equipment, filed at entry in ACE or on paper; not the EPA Form 3520-1.

25-year rule

The 25-year rule: the NHTSA exemption allowing a motor vehicle at least 25 years old, measured from its date of manufacture, to be imported without conforming to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, declared on HS-7 box 1; the EPA emissions side has its own age-based exemption on Form 3520-1; not a duty exemption.

registered importer

Registered importer (RI): a business registered with NHTSA under 49 CFR part 592 to import nonconforming motor vehicles, modify them to conform to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and certify conformance, which an importer must use for a nonconforming vehicle declared on HS-7 box 3; not the customs importer of record.

COLA

Certificate of Label Approval (COLA): TTB's approval (on TTB Form 5100.31) of the label of an imported beverage alcohol product (wine, distilled spirits, malt beverages) that the importer must hold before the product is released, reported in ACE as the COLA ID or a COLA exemption code; not a permit to import.

FAA permit

FAA permit: the Federal Alcohol Administration Act importer's basic permit issued by TTB, which any business importing distilled spirits, wine or malt beverages into the United States for commercial purposes must hold before importing and whose number is reported on every alcohol entry; not an aviation permit.

TTB 5100.31

TTB Form 5100.31: the Application for and Certification/Exemption of Label/Bottle Approval, the form (filed through COLAs Online) on which an importer or bottler applies for a Certificate of Label Approval or a label exemption; the approved form is the COLA; not the entry document.

COLA waiver

COLA waiver: TTB's written waiver allowing an importer to bring in a labeled alcohol beverage product without a Certificate of Label Approval in a limited case (samples, testing, product not for sale), reported in ACE with the waiver exemption code instead of a COLA ID; not a blanket exemption.

natural wine certificate

Natural wine certificate: the foreign certificate of proper cellar treatment required for imported natural wine from countries without an enological practices agreement, attesting that the wine was produced using proper cellar practices, held by the importer at entry and indicated on the TTB message set; not a certificate of origin.

ATF Form 6

ATF Form 6: the Application and Permit for Importation of Firearms, Ammunition and Defense Articles (Part I for licensed importers and other licensees), whose approved application is the ATF import permit needed before firearms, ammunition and other listed articles are released; not the ACE entry.

ATF Form 6A

ATF Form 6A: the Release and Receipt of Imported Firearms, Ammunition and Defense Articles, the form the importer (or its broker) completes at release listing the articles actually imported against the Form 6 permit and returns to ATF after receipt; not the permit itself.

DEA 236

DEA Form 236: the Controlled Substances Import/Export Declaration, filed by a DEA-registered importer through DEA's secure network before importing controlled substances that need a declaration rather than a permit (most Schedule III to V substances), returning a transaction identification number the broker files in ACE; not a DEA import permit.

DEA 486

DEA Form 486: the Import/Export Declaration for List I and List II Chemicals, filed by a DEA-registered importer of regulated precursor chemicals (for example ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, acetic anhydride) through DEA's secure network before the shipment is released, returning a transaction identification number for the ACE filing; not the controlled substances declaration.

NMFS 370

NOAA Form 370: the Fisheries Certificate of Origin for tuna, the NOAA Fisheries form certified by the exporter (with captain, observer or IDCP certifications attached) that accompanies imports of frozen and processed tuna and supports dolphin-safe labeling, filed electronically with CBP at or before importation; not the SIMP data set.

SIMP

Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP): the NOAA Fisheries program requiring harvest, landing and chain-of-custody data for imports of designated at-risk species groups, filed in ACE through the NMFS message set with an International Fisheries Trade Permit; not a seafood safety program and not the tuna Form 370.

IFTP

International Fisheries Trade Permit (IFTP): the NOAA Fisheries permit an importer of record (and exporter) must hold to trade in fish and fish products covered by SIMP, the tuna Form 370 program, the highly migratory species program and the Antarctic marine living resources program, reported on every NMFS message set line; not a fishing permit.

HMS permit

HMS permit (highly migratory species trade requirements): the NOAA Fisheries permit and documentation regime for imports of Atlantic bluefin, bigeye, swordfish and other highly migratory species, requiring the IFTP plus international catch or statistical documents (the ICCAT eBCD for bluefin) filed on the NMFS message set; not a recreational fishing permit.

FWS 3-177

FWS Form 3-177: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Declaration for Importation or Exportation of Fish or Wildlife, which an importer of wildlife, wildlife products or parts (reptile leather, feathers, shells, coral, taxidermy, live animals) must file with FWS at the place of clearance, through eDecs or the ACE FWS message set; not a CITES permit.

eDecs

eDecs: the Fish and Wildlife Service's electronic declaration system through which importers and brokers file Form 3-177 declarations, upload supporting documents, pay inspection fees and receive the eDecs confirmation number; not ACE and not DIS.

CITES permit

CITES permit: the export, re-export or import permit or certificate issued under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species by the exporting country's management authority (and, for Appendix I species, the U.S. import permit from FWS) that must accompany wildlife and plant specimens listed in the CITES appendices; not the 3-177 declaration.

designated port

Designated port (FWS): one of the ports the Fish and Wildlife Service designates for the import and export of wildlife, where FWS wildlife inspectors clear shipments; wildlife must enter through one unless the importer holds a designated port exception permit or a listed exception applies; not the CBP port of entry generally.

SIMA license

SIMA license: the Commerce Department Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis system import license, obtained free and automatically online for every entry of covered basic steel mill products and reported on the entry summary; a statistical tool, not a permission to import and not a Section 232 exclusion.

AIM license

AIM license: the Commerce Department Aluminum Import Monitoring system import license required for entries of covered basic aluminum products (unwrought aluminum, bars, rods, profiles, wire, plates, sheets, foil, tubes and fittings, and listed castings and forgings), reported on the entry summary; a statistical license, not a Section 232 exclusion and not the AIM Act HFC allowance.

AMS 8e

AMS Section 8e: the Agricultural Marketing Service's import requirements under section 8e of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act, under which imports of listed fruits, vegetables and specialty crops (avocados, dates, hazelnuts, grapefruit, table grapes, kiwifruit, olives, onions, oranges, potatoes, pistachios, raisins, tomatoes) must meet the grade, size, quality and maturity standards of the domestic marketing order, proven by inspection or an exempt-use certificate; here AMS is the Agricultural Marketing Service, not the Automated Manifest System.

dairy import license

Dairy import license: the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service license under the Dairy Import Licensing Program (7 CFR part 6 subpart B) that an importer must hold to enter cheese, butter, dried milk and other quota dairy products at the in-quota tariff-rate quota rate, reported on the entry summary; not a food safety permit.

sugar TRQ certificate

Sugar TRQ certificate: the certificate an importer must present to enter sugar at the in-quota tariff-rate quota rate, chiefly the Certificate of Quota Eligibility (CQE) issued by USDA and authenticated by the exporting country's certifying authority for raw cane sugar with a country-specific allocation, and the USDA specialty sugar certificate, transmitted with the quota entry; not a food safety certificate.

PGA message set

PGA message set: the ACE data structure (records PG01 through PG60) through which a filer transmits partner government agency data with the cargo release or entry summary, replacing agency paper forms for FDA, APHIS, EPA, CPSC, NHTSA, TTB, FWS, NOAA and other agencies; not a DIS document upload.

PG01

PG01: the first record of the ACE PGA message set for a line, carrying the agency code, program code, processing code, intended use code, disclaimer code (when one is allowed) and related indicators that tell ACE which agency requirements apply to the line; not a permit number.