U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it will start on Sept. 28 the test of a new import entry type, which it said will improve its ability to monitor the safety and security of low-value shipments.
Known as the Entry Type 86, the test will cover imports with a de minimis value of less than $800.
“Using Entry Type 86 to obtain release of low-valued Section 321 shipments is only a test,” CBP said “It is not mandatory.”
The de minimis value for U.S. imports not required to file a formal entry and pay duties was raised from $200 to $800 under the 2015 Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act (TFTEA).
During the test, the importer or its designated customs broker will be able to file the Entry Type 86 through the broker portal in CBP’s Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). The test may include Section 321 shipments that are subject to other agency requirements, CBP said.
The data elements required for a Type 86 entry include bill of lading or air waybill number; entry number; planned port of entry; shipper name, address and country; consignee name and address; country of origin; quantity; “fair retail value” in the country of shipment; 10-digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule number; and IOR (importer of record) number of the owner, purchaser, or broker when designated by a consignee (conditional).
The Type 86 entry data elements can be filed “at any time prior to, or upon arrival, or up to 15 days after arrival of the cargo,” CBP said in its Aug. 13 Federal Register notice announcing the test.
Upon receipt of the data in an Entry Type 86 filing, CBP will determine whether the shipment is subject to data reporting requirements for other agencies.
CBP said in the Federal Register notice that the test will allow it to “determine if entry type 86 effectively addresses the threats and complexities resulting from the global shift in trade to an e-commerce platform, the vast increase in Section 321 low-valued shipments, and facilitates cross-border e-commerce.”
The agency said it coordinated the development of the Entry Type 86 test with trade industry representatives and partner agencies.
CBP plans to hold hour-long calls with test participants to address any questions or concerns on Sept. 26, Sept. 27, Sept. 20 and Oct. 1, starting at 2 p.m. EST. The call-in number is (877) 336-1828, access code: 6124214.
The Entry Type 86 test is separate from the agency’s Section 321 E-Commerce Data Pilot, which was launched this summer with nine eligible e-commerce carriers, customs brokers, freight forwarders and online marketplaces. To participate, these companies must electronically transmit certain data elements related to their shipments to the agency in advance of their arrival in the U.S.
CBP said in a Federal Register notice on Sept. 13 that it intends to expand industry participation in the Section 321 E-Commerce Data Pilot.
The agency started both the Entry Type 86 test and Section 321 E-Commerce Data Pilot because it currently does not receive “adequate advance information in order to effectively and efficiently assess the security risk of the approximately 1.8 million Section 321 shipments that arrive each day.”
