U.S. Customs gives breakbulk, bulk lines electronic filing reprieve

U.S. Customs gives breakbulk, bulk lines electronic filing reprieve    The U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection will give breakbulk and bulk lines 30 days, starting March 4, to begin filing their inbound cargo manifests on the Automated Manifest System before taking enforcement action.
   In its initial rulemaking, U.S. Customs required breakbulk and bulk carriers to start filing their inbound manifests electronically by March 4. The agency’s regulation covers mandatory electronic manifest filing provisions in both the 2002 Trade Act and 2002 Maritime Transportation Security Act.
   Many breakbulk and bulk carriers that make infrequent calls to U.S. ports have traditionally relied on their vessel agents in the arrival ports to process their inbound cargo manifests with U.S. Customs. This process also included the use of the vessel agents’ Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC) numbers and international carrier bonds. Under the new regulation, these carriers must use their own SCAC numbers and obtain the necessary $50,000 Activity Code 3 International Carriers bond for customs clearance purposes.
   U.S. Customs said it’s aware that several foreign breakbulk and bulk carriers were unable to acquire their international carrier bonds in time for the March 4 mandatory electronic manifest-filing deadline. The agency said it is allowing a period of “informed compliance” for the next 30 days.
   U.S. Customs warned, however, that starting April 2 it will take enforcement action against breakbulk and bulk vessel operators that fail to comply.
   “These enforcement actions include denial of preliminary entry, issuance of penalties at each port of arrival and denial of unlading,” the agency said.
   For more information, read the article in the March issue of American Shipper, page 24 (http//www.AmericanShipper.com).