The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has scheduled an upgrade to the Import Operations database which will affect multiple import applications including but not limited to:

• Interoperability Web Service (IWS), the interface between U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and FDA
• FDA Import Trade Auxiliary Communications Systems (ITACS)
• Prior Notice applications, except Prior Notice System Interface (PNSI)

START: Saturday, November 4, 2023, 10:00 P.M. ET

END: Sunday, November 5, 2023, 4:00 A.M. ET

During this time:

• FDA will not process any inbound entries or outbound messages.
• Do not resubmit entries as this will increase the processing time to catch up when the interface is restored.

Prior Notice impact during this time:

• Prior Notices can be submitted via both the Prior Notice System Interface (PNSI) as well as the Automated Broker Interface (ABI)/Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) but will not be processed by FDA.
• There may be a delay in review of Prior Notices. This delay may lead to Prior Notices being reviewed beyond expected timeframes (Truck/Land: 2 hours, Rail/Air: 4 hours, Sea: 8 hours). Please file your Prior Notices early to mitigate the impact of the delay.
• For additional details, see Prior Notice Contingency Scenario 1

ITACS impact during this time:

If documents or availability information must be submitted during the downtime, they can be submitted to the local FDA office at the port of entry via that office’s preferred alternate communication method. Contact information for all FDA import offices can be found on FDA’s Import Offices and Ports of Entry web page: Import Offices and Ports of Entry | FDA. 

For questions regarding Prior Notice, or with perishable shipments, please contact the FDA's Division of Food Defense Targeting (DFDT). The DFDT can be reached 24/7/365 at (866) 521-2297 or prior.notice@fda.hhs.gov

Questions regarding ITACS downtime can be sent to ITACS Support at ITACSSupport@fda.hhs.gov.

For ACE inquiries, contact FDA ACE Support, contact ACE_Support@fda.hhs.gov. ACE Support Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 A.M. – 8:00 P.M.