U.S. Customs strictly checks! This type of goods is prohibited from being shipped!
Since April, customs inspection rates across the United States have surged, and as time goes by, this phenomenon has expanded from the United States to Canada, resulting in North American goods being subject to strict inspections upon arrival at the port. The industry is currently most concerned about the issue.
According to a well-known U.S. customs clearance company, an important trigger of recent strict inspections is the crackdown on vague and non-compliant cargo descriptions.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued an official early warning in early April and issued an announcement regarding goods with ambiguous product descriptions in cargo information.
The announcement clearly states that starting from April 1, 2024, CBP will join hands with all ports in the United States to implement cargo information transmission, and communicate and investigate with entry declarers regarding vague and non-compliant cargo.
Under the relevant regulations, carriers and other parties who choose to submit electronic cargo information data to U.S. Customs and Border Protection must provide specific and precise descriptions of goods, and some common vague and non-compliant cargo descriptions will no longer be accepted. ,for example:
gift
daily necessities
accessories
parts
consolidated
Of these, only the use of "consolidated" at the master bill of lading level is acceptable
In most cases, CBP will send a message to the customs broker after the cargo is released through the ACE Cargo Release system. Importers and customs brokers should process this information and work with shippers and bill of lading issuers to ensure that future cargo descriptions comply with Regulation.
The issuance and implementation of this announcement further demonstrates the U.S. Customs’ strict requirements for cargo description and its determination to crack down on non-compliance. It is also an important reason for the recent surge in customs inspection rates.
CBP has given examples of small-value cargo messages with vague cargo descriptions, clearly stating that cargo descriptions need to be precise and must not be too vague.
The bureau stressed that customs brokers and freight forwarders should be held to the same standards as carriers and screen data to ensure compliance with cargo declaration regulations. Once problems are discovered, cargo information should be reviewed for compliance and necessary corrective actions taken. If CBP discovers any non-compliance, further action may be taken.
In addition, it is understood that ambiguous product names can easily lead to AMS feedback code 6H (Do Not Load), which means that the product will not be allowed to be shipped. Only after the product name is modified to comply with the regulations, the goods can be shipped after contacting the customs again and obtaining the 6I (Hold Removed) code.
The report issued by Evergreen Shipping on the 26th also confirmed the news. The notice stated that the U.S. Customs has informed Evergreen Shipping that according to the Trade Act of 2002, the cargo description of all reserved goods must be accurate and specific.
Therefore, vague product descriptions will not be accepted and may be subject to customs 6H restrictions "No Shipment". Evergreen kindly asks customers to ensure that product descriptions are clear and accurate when booki
In addition to vague and non-compliant product descriptions, another focus of strict investigation in the United States is textiles.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an announcement stating that it is developing an enhanced strategy to create a level playing field for more than 500,000 workers in the U.S. textile industry by combating illegal trade.
The plan will serve as a blueprint for future enforcement efforts, including intensifying crackdowns on small packaged goods, conducting joint trade special operations, strengthening customs audits and foreign inspections, and expanding the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act’s entity list.
The new enforcement plan focuses on the following actions:
Ban illegal goods from entering the U.S. market through enhanced screening of packages with de minimis exemptions for Section 321 textiles, UFLPA and other violations, including expanded targeting, laboratory and isotope testing, and focused enforcement operations against small package shipments.
Carry out CBP-HSI joint trade special operations to ensure that goods comply with regulations. This includes on-site inspections, country of origin, isotope and composition testing, and in-depth review of documentation. CBP will impose civil penalties for violations of U.S. law and, when necessary, conduct criminal investigations in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security.
Better assess risks through expanded customs audits and increased foreign inspections. DHS staff will conduct comprehensive audits and textile production verifications at high-risk foreign factories to ensure textiles comply with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) or the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA- DR). CBP recently visited 31 facilities in Mexico (the first such visit under the USMCA) and 18 facilities in Honduras, and is on track to double the total number of foreign verification visits from last year.
Increase stakeholder awareness through educational campaigns to ensure importers and suppliers in the CAFTA-DR and USMCA regions are aware of compliance requirements and aware of CBP's enforcement efforts.
Leverage U.S. and Central American industrial partnerships to improve the facilitation of legitimate trade.
Expand the UFLPA Entity List to identify non-performing suppliers to the trade community by reviewing other entities in the high-priority textile industry for inclusion in the UFLPA Entity List.
During the Biden administration, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has completed a number of efforts to strengthen trade oversight and ensure compliance of imported goods. Specifically:
Launched 15 trade special operations focusing on physical inspection of small shipments and cargo and post-release review;
Extensive physical inspections and document reviews of textile imports;
Launched trade audit of more than $10.5 billion in textile imports;
Completed textile production verification visits to factories in Mexico and Honduras;
And 10 textile industry entities were included in the UFLPA entity list, causing related transportation to stop.
