ACAS

ACAS Compliance: Advanced Cargo Screening for U.S. Shipments

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Submission of advanced air cargo information on shipments arriving in the United States from a foreign location.

The Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) program evaluates air shipments for threats to aviation. Messages describing upcoming shipments are sent to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in advance of the cargo departure for the United States. This data is reviewed jointly by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel to identify threats.

Pre-Loading:

The following minimum set of house-level data elements comprises a complete ACAS filing. The information provided (FWB/FHL). should be based on the best available information at the time of transmission. 

SAS Cargo will send a Pre-Load message to the US DHS on every single shipment before it is ready for carriage.

SAS Cargo will receive a “Assessment Complete” when all information needed has been assessed by customs.

In case of negative replies;

  • Request for Information or
  • Request for Screening or
  • Do Not Load

Our team will address all issues and contact you (or your colleagues) if necessary.

Additional fees may apply for extra services related to retrieving ACAS approval.

If you have any questions, please contact us at cargobooking@sas.dk. Remember to put "ACAS" in the subject line.

Requirements in FWB and FHL:

FWB must include:

  1. Total Quantity
  2. Total Weight
  3. Cargo Description (non-generic)
  4. Shipper Name and Address (incl zip codes)
  5. Consignee Name and Address (incl zip codes).
  6. HS number - must include 6 digits

FHL must include:

  1. Total Quantity for this FHL
  2. Total Weight for this FHL
  3. Cargo Description (non-generic)
  4. Shipper Name and Address (incl zip codes) for this FHL
  5. Consignee Name and Address (incl zip codes).for this FHL
  6. HTS (HS number) for this FHL

Vague Cargo descriptions and incomplete consignee/shipper information will not be accepted. A non-exhaustive list of unacceptable cargo descriptions can be found on the EU website at: Examples of Unacceptable vs Acceptable Cargo Descriptions | U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This list will continue to evolve and contains only generic examples.

Most common errors delaying shipments:

  • Wrong or missing HS numbers.
  • Not satisfactory data quality (content description)
  • Missing Postal Code/Zip code

Since requirements may change on short notice, we recommend staying informed through relevant national websites and official sources.