Customs clearance

  • What is ISF 10+2?

    ISF is the abbreviation of Importer Security Filing, that is, import security declaration, also known as anti-terrorism declaration. It is the requirement of US Customs for US importers. After the 9/11 incident, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) created something to strengthen US security. This is a declaration unique to the US , whose purpose is to improve safety regulation. The content includes 12 items: 10 items are provided by the importer, and 2 items are provided by the shipping company, so ISF is also called 10+2.
    The ISF declaration must send the electronic declaration data to the US Customs through the AMS or ABI system 24 hours before the shipment of the goods. In terms of ISF declaration operations, importers can entrust their trusted overseas agents to declare on their behalf.
     
    ●The specific content of the ISF declaration, that is, the 10+2 new regulations are as follows：
    1、The 2 mentioned in 10+2 is the declaration requirement for the shipping company：
    （1）VESSEL STOW PLAN
    （2）CONTAINER STATUS MESSAGE
    2、The 10 mentioned in 10+2 is to require 10 additional information units to be declared 24 hours before shipment：
    （1）Manufacturer name and address
    （2）Seller name and address
    （3）Buyer name and address
    （4）Ship to name and address
    （5）Importer of record number
    （6）Consignee number
    （7）Country of origin of the goods
    （8）Harmonized Tariff ScheduleNo. 6 digit
    （9）Container stuffing location
    （10）Consolidator name and address

    ●Who is the ISF sent by?
    (1) Importer
    (2) Or the freight forwarder or customs broker designated by the importer
     
    ●How the ISF is sent?
    (1) Existing AMS system
    (2) US Customs ABI Tariff System
     
    ●Sending time:
    Like AMS, revisions must be sent 24 hours before boarding the ship. Deadline: The last modification must be made 24 hours before the ship arrives at the port.
     

     

  • What is the difference between ISF and AMS filings?

    The differences between ISF and AMS declarations are simply distinguished as:
    AMS refers to the 24-hour manifest system or the American anti-terrorism manifest system. The main thing to declare is the information in the bill of lading, and the freight forwarder can control it at the time of declaration.

    ISF declarations are mainly entities in the supply chain. Part of the information is on the buyer, and part of the information is on the seller. How to effectively integrate these information is difficult at the beginning.

    If the freight forwarder helps to declare ISF, relevant information must have been collected when booking the space. And if the importer declares by himself, he must communicate with the seller some information when declaring.

  • US Bond Matters

    ●What does Bond mean in US customs clearance?

    Bond is the deposit that the US importer buys from the customs, and the US importer must purchase BOND from the customs. Once the importer is fined for some reason, the US customs will deduct money from the bond. Even if this BOND was not required by ISF before, import customs clearance must be purchased.

     

    ●Bond Classification

    1. Annual Bond Also known as Continuous Bond, it is purchased once a year and is suitable for customers who import goods multiple times within a year. It is valid for one year and requires Renew to continue the annual Bond qualification before it expires.

    2. single Bond，Inside the ISF system be known as single transaction。

     

    ●Bond customs clearance

    There are two customs clearance methods at the door-to-door point of the US DDP: customs clearance in the name of the US consignee, or customs clearance in the name of the consignor. If it is Amazon’s goods, most of them apply for BOND in the name of the consignor for import customs clearance. .
     

    Customs clearance in the name of Consignee, the consignee of the United States (this is mostly the case for traditional trade)

    1.Consignee, the American consignee, provides the power of attorney to the freight forwarder (American agent). At this time, the customs clearance will use the Bond of the American consignee for the declaration of American import customs clearance.

     

    2.Apply for Bond for customs clearance in the name of the shipper Shipper (most of Amazon's e-commerce goods are of this type)

    Shipper provides Power of attorney to the US agent, and the US agent applies for Bond in the US on behalf of the consignor and handles the Importer record of No.

    Annual /Continuous Bond requires more documents, and the application time is about 1-2 working days (depending on the completeness of the documents). It is recommended to apply before delivery；

    If it is a single bond, the bidding time is relatively fast, usually within 1-2 working days.

     

    No matter which customs clearance method is used, the tax ID of the American consignee must be used for customs clearance (Tax ID, also called IRS No). The full name of IRS No is the internal revenue service no. The tax identification number registered by the tax bureau; Bond and Tax id are indispensable. Therefore, you must confirm with your American customers whether there is Bond and whether they can use their Bond  and POA to clear customs. If the consignee does not have Bond or is unwilling to use their bond, the consignor must purchase Bond, and even then the Tax id must belong to the consignee in the United States.\
     

    ●Notice

    If you don’t purchase BOND, it means you haven’t registered with the US Customs. Even if all ten items of the ISF are correct, it will not be accepted by the US Customs, and you will be fined if you fail to clear the customs.

    All goods transiting the United States, goods that are shipped to other countries immediately after being shipped to the United States, and goods that are shipped to the United States and then shipped to other countries within the United States also need to declare ISF5 at the US Customs. Also like ISF10, at least ETD POL must be declared 24 hours before.

  • Customs inspection

    There will be some additional fees for customs inspection and inspection of cabinets, but the general fees are not charged by the customs, but the fees for hanging cabinets and dismantling fees charged by the wharf/counter yard. Because this fee is only for customs inspections, the wharf generally Call these fees customs inspection fees, and an invoice will be issued on site. These inspection fees are paid by customers.
    Generally, there will be an inspection notice before the customs inspection, and there will be an inspection report after the inspection. Inspection is an important means of customs supervision. Customs declaration is only one of the processes. Customs will conduct spot checks on some sensitive goods based on their own experience, the frequency of import and export of the declaring subject in the past, and national policies. Most of them are random random checks by computer.
     
    ●Customs inspection generally checks the following contents
    A.Check product name
    B.Check packaging specifications
    C.Check the quantity (number of pieces)
    D.Check weight
    E.Check the number of pieces
    F.Check wheat head
    G.Check for infringement
    H.Check the place of origin (the place where the goods are manufactured)
    I.Check tax classification
    J.Check declared price
    K.Sampling for inspection
    L.Confirmation of hidden/smuggled