US Customs Import Regulations

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (US)

Amounts shown are expressed in United States Dollar (USD)

GENERAL INFORMATION

IMPORT/TRANSIT/EXPORT REGULATIONS

IATA Area :1

Capital :Washington (WAS)

Local Time:GMT – 5 / – 10

Daylight Saving Time:GMT – 4 / – 9: Starts on the 2nd Sunday

in March and ends on the 1st Sunday in

November.

Country Code :+ 1

Local Currency:United States Dollar (USD)

Bank Information:Closed on Saturday and Sunday.

 AIRPORT INFORMATION

CUSTOMS AIRPORTS

IMPORT

GENERAL

Please refer to the following website for the most current and up-to-date information issued by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP): http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/home.xml

Packing

Hay, straw and willow twigs are prohibited. If wooden cases or jute sacks are used, they must be new. Additionally, wooden containers must be free from bark.

Import Shipments Containing Wood Packaging Materials

Effective 16-Sept-05, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will implement new regulations for import shipments that contain wood packaging materials. These standards are being changed to decrease the risk of wood packaging materials that introduce plant pests into the United States.

The international standards call for wood packaging material to be either heat treated or fumigated with methyl bromide and marked with an approved international mark certifying treatment. The treatment certification mark harmonises the regulations and replaces country-by-country certifications.

To obtain specific information about the new regulations, please refer to the document titled “Importation of Wood Packaging Material” at the following website:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/wpm/wpm.html

Marking

Every article of foreign origin entering the United States must be legibly marked in a conspicuous place with the “English” name of the country of origin unless an exception from marking is provided for in the law. The article should be marked as indelibly and permanently as the nature of the product will permit.

Language on documents

English

Other requirements

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) requires advance electronic data for all import shipments that transit or terminate the United States. This includes all shipments remaining aboard an aircraft on the same through flight. Although CBP requires advance data to be transmitted via their Air Automated Manifest System (AAMS), the airline or third party transmitting the information to CBP will be liable for all data. This includes the Master Air Waybill (MAWB) information and the House Air Waybill (HAWB) information.

If the advance electronic data is not submitted timely, accurately, or completely, CBP may deny or delay permission for the airline to unload all or part of its cargo. In appropriate cases, the airline may be denied to land.

Although CBP requires advance electronic data via their AAMS, the Shipper may elect to:

1. submit the electronic data directly to CBP or via a third party provider,
2. submit the electronic data to the air carrier (and request the air carrier to submit the electronic information to CBP), or
3. provide the necessary documents to the air carrier (and request the air carrier to submit the electronic information to CBP).

However, if the Shipper does not provide the electronic data to the air carrier or to CBP, the Shipper must provide the air carrier with a detailed consolidation manifest or source document for each House Air Waybill. This information must be attached to the Master Air Waybill. Additionally, if the consolidation is palletized, a consolidation manifest will be required for each pallet (in the event there is a split shipment). If a document is missing, or it is not available at the time of acceptance, the air carrier has the right to deny the shipment.

In order to prevent unnecessary delays, it is essential for the Shipper to provide complete and accurate information for every shipment including the following:

Temporary Importation Under Bond (TIB)

The TIB is for samples used solely for taking orders for merchandise that is eligible to be admitted into the United States without the payment of duty. In order to meet this condition, samples cannot be sold and exported within one year from their date of importation.

IMPORT/TRANSIT/EXPORT REGULATIONS

Admission Temporaire – Temporary Admission (ATA Carnet)

The “Admission Temporaire – Temporary Admission”, or ATA Carnet, is an international customs document which may be used for the temporary duty free importation of commercial samples (in-lieu-of the usual customs documents required for entry). The carnet serves as a guarantee against the payment of duties which may become due if the merchandise is not re-exported. A carnet is valid for one year and may be obtained from local associations. In the United States, the U.S. Council of the International Chamber of Commerce, located at 1212 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY has been designated by the U.S. Customs Service as the issuing and guaranteeing organization for the United States.

DOCUMENTARY REQUIREMENTS

CBP requires a “precise description and weight of the cargo or, for a sealed container, the shipper’s declared description and weight of the cargo.”

A precise narrative description is a description that is precise enough for CBP to be able to identify the shapes, physical characteristics, and likely packaging of the manifested cargo so that CBP can identify any anomalies in the cargo when a container is run through imaging equipment. The description must also be precise enough to identify any goods, which may emit radiation. How specific that information must be depends on the nature of the commodity. For example, “electronics” is not a precise description, but “CD players” or “computer monitors” would be.

To be clear, IN NO CASE is a blank description, freight all kinds (FAK), said to contain (STC) with or without other description, general merchandise, “26 pallets”, various retail merchandise, consolidated cargo or other similarly vague descriptions acceptable.

The following terms are intended as a guide. They are illustrative, not exhaustive, examples of acceptable and unacceptable descriptions. Phrases

Not Acceptable

Apparel

Wearing Apparel

Ladies’ Apparel

Men’s Apparel

Acceptable

Clothing

Shoes

Footwear

Jewelry (may include watches)

Not Acceptable

Appliances

Acceptable

Kitchen Appliances

Industrial Appliances

Heat Pump

Not Acceptable

Autoparts

Acceptable

Parts

New Autoparts

Used Autoparts

Not Acceptable

Caps

Baseball Caps

Blasting Caps

Bottle Caps

Hub Caps

etc

Short Term Recommendation

To comply with the US CBP Final Rule for Required Electronic Presentation of Cargo Information amendments to existing standard forms and messages will be required in the longer term.

However, with the US CBP deadline fast approaching, the recommended procedure to follow at this time is:

Maintain current paper processes for both import and export, including ULD content by house waybill.

THE EDI ENVIRONMENT

Direct/Agency Shipments

The forwarder sends the FWB to the Carrier

The FWB should include:

1. Forwarders must indicate the number of pieces tendered, e.g. 1 ULD in the AWB
2. Consignment Details line of the FWB
3. Forwarders Must use the SLAC field in the FWB Rate Description line to indicate the actual number of pieces within the tendered ULD

The Carrier reports the air waybill to Air Automated Manifest System (Air AMS)

Consolidations

Where the Carrier reports house waybill data

• The Forwarder sends the Air Waybill Data (FWB) message and the Consolidation List (FHL) message with full house waybill details to the carrier prior to tender
• The Carrier reports the master air waybill and house waybills to Air Automated Manifest System (Air AMS)

Master Airway bill

1. The Other Service Information (OSI) line in the FWB will contain “FIRMS-” in the first position followed by the Facilities Information and Resource Management System code when in-bond Container Freight Station (CFS) movements are necessary
2. Forwarders must indicate the number of pieces tendered, e.g. 1 ULD in the AWB Consignment Details line of the FWB
3. Forwarders Must use the SLAC field in the FWB Rate Description line to indicate the actual number of pieces within the tendered ULD

IMPORT/TRANSIT/EXPORT REGULATIONS

House Airway bill

1. The Free Text Description of Goods (TXT) line in FHL will be used to contain the full specific cargo description or “HTS-” in the first position followed by the US Harmonised Tariff Schedule code to identify the goods. Carriers will use this description to populate the description of goods for customs (although the HWB Manifest Description of Goods is mandatory it is usually inadequate for Customs reporting purposes). When multiple HTS codes are required, they are to be separated by a space.
2. Forwarders must indicate the actual number of pieces (SLAC), not skids, in the House Waybill Summary Details line of the FHL message
3. Forwarders must indicate the number of pieces tendered, e.g. 1 ULD in the Master AWB Consignment Details line of the FHL messages (the same piece count number to appear in the FWB AWB Consignment Details).

Where the Forwarder Reports House Waybill data

• The Forwarder sends the house waybill data directly to Air AMS
• The Forwarder sends the FWB and the FHL with summary house waybill information to the carrier prior to tender
• The first occurrence of the OSI line in the FWB will contain “AGT-” in the first position followed by the ABI filer code or the FIRMS code to indicate that the Forwarder reports the house waybill details directly to Air AMS
• The second occurrence of the Other Service Information (OSI) line in the FWB will contain “FIRMS-” in the first position followed by the Facilities Information and Resource Management System code when in-bond Container Freight Station (CFS) movements are necessary
• The Carrier reports the master air waybill to Air AMS

THE PAPER ENVIRONMENT

Direct/Agency Shipments

The forwarder provides the air waybill to the Carrier

The air waybill should include:

1. Forwarders must indicate the number of pieces tendered, e.g. 1 ULD in the Number of Pieces box
2. Forwarders must indicate the total actual number of pieces (SLAC), not skids, in the Nature and Quantity of Goods

The Carrier reports the air waybill to Air Automated Manifest System (Air AMS)

Consolidations

• Forwarders must indicate “Consolidation as per attached list” in the Nature and Quantity of Goods of the master air waybill
• Forwarders must indicate the total actual number of pieces (SLAC), not skids, in the Nature and Quantity of Goods of the master air waybill below “Consolidation”
• Forwarders must indicate the number of pieces tendered, e.g. 1 ULD, in the Number of Pieces box of the Master air waybill
• “House Information transmitted by: (the ABI filer code or the FIRMS code)” or “AGT- (the ABI filer code or the FIRMS code)” is entered in the Handling Information box on the master air waybill to indicate that the Forwarder reports the house waybill details directly to Air AMS if that is the case
• “Local transfer at destination to: (the FIRMS code of the location to where the goods will be transferred)” or “FIRMS- (the FIRMS code of the location to where the goods will be transferred)” is entered in the Handling Information box on the master air waybill when in-bond Container Freight Station (CFS) movements are necessary
• The house waybill must contain a full specific cargo description or the US Harmonised Tariff Schedule codes to identify the goods
• Where the Carrier reports house waybill data
• The Forwarder provides the master air waybill, house waybill manifest and individual house waybills including ULD content to the carrier
• The Carrier enters the house waybill data
• The Carrier reports individual house waybills and master air waybill to Air AMS
• Where the Forwarder Reports House Waybill data
• The Forwarder provides the master air waybill and house waybill manifest including ULD content to the carrier
• The Carrier reports master air waybill to Air AMS

Salam Sehat Semangat Sukses

Bambang Purnomo , SS-BA, CSCA, CAVM  Solution Consultant

By Bams – August 23, 2022