U.S. CUSTOMS SAYS 24-HOUR RULE IMPLEMENTATION GOING SMOOTHLY

U.S. CUSTOMS SAYS 24-HOUR RULE IMPLEMENTATION GOING SMOOTHLY    The U.S. Customs Service instructed ocean shipping lines not to load a container at a foreign port on 13 occasions during Feb. 2-9, the first week that the border agency enforced its 24-hour rule for advance manifest reporting.
   Customs reviewed more than 142,000 bills of lading and rejected 13 for having inadequate cargo descriptions, the agency said. Some of the documents also were not submitted in a timely fashion or did not include the consignee.
   'While we issue no-load orders for clear violations of the rule, we commend carriers and Non-Vessel Operating Common Carriers for taking the 24-hour rule seriously and for their growing level of compliance,' Commissioner Robert Bonner said in a statement.
   Enforcement efforts focused on vague cargo descriptions such as 'Freight-All-Kinds,' 'Said to Contain,' or 'General Merchandise.'