U.S. CUSTOMS MAKES TECHNICAL CORRECTION TO 24-HOUR RULE

U.S. CUSTOMS MAKES TECHNICAL CORRECTION TO 24-HOUR RULE

   U.S. Customs published a technical correction to its advance manifest regulation regarding when an eligible non-vessel-operating common carrier must file its cargo declaration information.

   The advance manifest regulation, effective Dec. 2, requires both vessel operators and NVOs to file accurate cargo manifests to U.S. Customs 24-hours prior to loading containers on ships in overseas ports.

   “Specifically, in T.D. 02-62, Sec. 4.7(b)(2) of the Customs regulations (19 CFR 4.7(b)(2)) correctly provided that Customs must receive from the vessel carrier the vessel’s cargo declaration, Customs Form 1302, or a Customs-approved electronic equivalent, 24 hours before such cargo was laden aboard the vessel at the foreign port,” the agency said in a Federal Register notice Jan. 14.

   “By contrast, Sec. 4.7(b)(3)(i) inadvertently stated in effect that if an eligible NVOCC elected to file such cargo declaration information with Customs, the NVOCC would have to electronically transmit this information to Customs 24 hours before the related cargo was laden aboard the vessel at the foreign port,” the agency added.

   “However, under T.D. 02-62, both vessel carriers and NVOCCs were properly intended to be subject to the same 24-hour advance presentation requirement,” Customs said. “As such, it was intended that under Sec. 4.7 (b)(3)(i) Customs likewise receive from a participating NVOCC the necessary cargo declaration information 24 hours before the related cargo was laden aboard the vessel at the foreign port. This document corrects that unintended inconsistency.”