Descartes Customs and Regulatory Compliance vs SmartBorder ABI/ACE

Descartes Customs and Regulatory Compliance is a suite for preparing customs filings and tracking regulatory filing status. Its solution areas include customs declarations, cargo security filings, product classification and duty determination, denied-party screening, government and industry programs, and foreign-trade-zone management. Declaration capabilities cover filings in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and several European countries. The workflow includes system integration, real-time global customs status visibility, automated data validation, and manual or EDI data capture. Security filings submit advanced manifest data electronically across regions including the Americas, EMEA, and APAC, with multi-party data sharing, alerts, reporting, and status updates. The AI-assisted classification offering includes trade content on duties, tariffs, regulations, explanatory notes, trade agreements, rulings, and compliance checks from more than 175 countries. Access is through web and API, and e-Customs is described as SaaS without server or hosting fees or VPN requirements. Listed pricing includes a Base Platform starting at €200 a month, plus an €800 + VAT setup fee; subscription cost varies by modules, committed declaration volume, and concurrent users. Duty Management Modules are listed at €170 a month, with volume pricing potentially applying.

SmartBorder ABI/ACE is U.S. import entry software for land, sea, and air brokers and self-filing importers. Its editions cover Northern Border, Air & Sea Broker, and Importer workflows. Entry processing includes PGA filing, automatic validation checks, special-program recommendations, and transmission results. Customer profiles can store contacts, notes, bond and product details, transaction parties, billing information, manufacturer IDs, and 5106s. Trade tools include electronic 7512 in-bonds, tariff searching, FDA and other PGA filing, delivery orders, review flags, bonds, Excel line-item imports, billing, and statement queries. Data integration is available through EDI, XML, FTP, Web Services, and other options; engineers can add custom fields, reports, and integrations with proprietary accounting systems. The SaaS-based and PC-based applications need an internet connection but no dedicated hardware or added IT resources. Training is included, and licensed brokers provide support. Pricing is on request. As of February 1, 2025, sales to new brokerage firms were discontinued; support continues for non-brokerage customers through designated Livingston groups.