Stating that carriers and other parties electing to file Air Cargo Advance Screening data must provide a precise description of the cargo, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced that it is cracking down on the use of vague cargo descriptions such as “gift”, “daily necessities”, “accessories”, “parts,” and “consolidated” (the last of which is only acceptable at the master bill level). Click here for more examples, though CBP notes that this is not an exhaustive list.
Specifically, CBP has implemented a 30-day warning period with respect to vague descriptions. Warning messages will be emailed to the listed ACAS 24x7 point of contact daily with a summary of each vague description from the previous day.
The warning period will end Oct. 6, and effective Oct. 7 ACAS submissions with vague cargo descriptions will be rejected.
CBP expects ACAS filers to screen data for compliance with cargo declaration regulations, process warning and rejection notifications, and work to immediately correct any issues with the shipper and bill of lading issuer. CBP warns that if it identifies any enforcement concerns it may take additional actions.
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