Last updated: November 4, 2026 · Reviewed by BOLD VAN's EDI team. This article is general information, not legal or customs advice.
In This Article
Quick Answer
Several regulations shape how goods move through U.S. and global supply chains today: CBP's Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) for electronic import and export filing, the SOLAS verified gross mass rule for export containers, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act's modernized duty drawback, and the FDA's FSMA 204 food traceability rule, with a compliance date of July 20, 2028. All of them push supply chains toward accurate, electronic data, which is where EDI helps.
Regulations are a necessary, if sometimes frustrating, part of supply chain management. Keeping up is harder as agencies around the world keep updating their rules.
Most regulations are driven by modernization, transparency, safety and security. Many agencies are moving from paper to digital systems to make trade faster and more transparent. Digital systems help with efficiency and security, but the two goals can conflict, since tighter security can slow goods at borders. Regulators are under constant pressure to balance them.
Here are four regulations with lasting impact on logistics and supply chains.
Definition
Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) is U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) electronic system for filing and processing data on goods imported into and exported from the United States. It serves as the single window through which the trade community and partner government agencies submit and receive trade data.
CBP spent years building ACE to replace its older Automated Commercial System (ACS) with one portal for import and export data. The goal: move goods into commerce faster, with less paperwork and manual work. CBP phased in mandatory ACE filing in stages, completing the core transition in 2016, and agencies such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the USDA (for Lacey Act declarations) and the Fish and Wildlife Service moved their filing requirements into ACE.
Today, importers and their customs brokers file entries and related agency data through ACE, often using EDI-based connections.
Definition
Verified Gross Mass (VGM) is the verified total weight of a packed shipping container, which shippers must provide before the container is loaded onto a ship for export. The requirement comes from amendments to the International Maritime Organization's Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention that took effect July 1, 2016.
Before the rule, shippers provided container weights to carriers, but those weights often weren't accurate. Investigations found inaccurate cargo weights contributed to ship accidents, and containers much heavier than declared could overwhelm terminal equipment or cause container stacks to collapse.
To get an accurate VGM, shippers can use one of two methods:
The Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (TFTEA), signed into law in February 2016, was a broad customs reauthorization law. Two of its most significant changes were:
Definition
FSMA 204 (Food Traceability Rule) is an FDA rule under Section 204 of the Food Safety Modernization Act that requires companies that manufacture, process, pack or hold foods on the FDA's Food Traceability List to keep additional traceability records, known as key data elements, for critical tracking events. The compliance date is July 20, 2028.
FSMA 204 is aimed at helping the FDA trace foods faster during outbreaks and recalls. Affected companies must record key data elements, such as traceability lot codes, at critical tracking events like receiving, transforming and shipping, and be able to provide records to the FDA quickly when asked. Because the data has to move between suppliers, distributors and retailers, many companies are planning to share traceability information electronically.
| Regulation | Agency | Who It Affects | Key Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACE | U.S. Customs and Border Protection | Importers, exporters, customs brokers | Core mandatory transition completed in 2016 |
| SOLAS VGM | International Maritime Organization | Shippers of export containers | In effect since July 1, 2016 |
| TFTEA drawback | U.S. Customs and Border Protection | Companies claiming duty drawback | Final rule effective Dec. 17, 2018 |
| FSMA 204 | U.S. Food and Drug Administration | Companies handling foods on the Food Traceability List | Compliance date July 20, 2028 |
Each of these regulations relies on accurate data moving electronically between companies and agencies. EDI helps by:
BOLD VAN helps businesses meet their trading partners' EDI requirements:
2026 Free Mapping Event
New to EDI or moving from another provider? Through Dec. 31, 2026, we build and maintain the maps for the trading partners you move to BOLD Integration, at no mapping cost.
Speak with an EDI solutions specialist about meeting your trading partners' requirements. Call (844) 265-3777 or email info@boldvan.com.
Talk to an EDI ExpertACE, the Automated Commercial Environment, is U.S. Customs and Border Protection's electronic system for filing and processing import and export data. It replaced the older Automated Commercial System (ACS).
Since July 1, 2016, shippers must provide a verified gross mass (VGM) for each packed export container before it is loaded onto a ship, either by weighing the packed container or by weighing its contents and adding the container's tare weight.
Duty drawback is a refund of certain customs duties paid on imported goods that are later exported or destroyed. TFTEA simplified drawback and extended the filing period to five years.
CBP's Modernized Drawback final rule implementing TFTEA took effect December 17, 2018, with excise tax provisions effective February 19, 2019.
The compliance date for the FDA's FSMA 204 Food Traceability Rule is July 20, 2028.
EDI moves data between companies in standard electronic formats, reducing manual errors, keeping records consistent across partners and creating a trail of what was sent and when.
Key Facts
ACE is CBP's electronic system for import and export filing; its core mandatory transition from ACS was completed in 2016. The SOLAS verified gross mass rule has required verified weights for packed export containers since July 1, 2016. TFTEA, signed in February 2016, modernized duty drawback, extending the filing period from three to five years, with CBP's final rule effective December 17, 2018.
The FDA's FSMA 204 Food Traceability Rule requires additional traceability records for foods on the Food Traceability List, with a compliance date of July 20, 2028. EDI supports compliance by moving accurate data electronically between partners. This article is general information, not legal or customs advice.
