Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : CR EIC 111/2/16

30 January 2003

Dear Sirs,

 

Commercial Information Circular No. 46/2003

US : Update of the 24- Hour Rule on Submission of 
Advanced Sea Cargo Information

Report of the Advisory Committee on the Commercial Operations of the US Customs Service (COAC)

COAC, an industry advisory group which advises the US Customs Service on trade practice, has presented to the US Customs Service a report on the implementation of the 24-hour rule on submission of advanced sea cargo information. Extracts of the report are appended at Annex A to this circular for information. Traders may in particular wish to note the following parts of Annex A (pdf format) -

(a) Paragraph 6 of the Report

The US Customs Service has confirmed that -

1. if the cargo description is clearly in violation of the rule, e.g. a blank description or vague description of goods such as "FAK", "STC", "general merchandise" or "consolidated cargo", the US Customs Service will not allow loading of goods on board by issuing the "DO NOT LOAD" message;
2. any decision to deny permission to unload in a US port based on non-compliance under the rule would be made only at the US Customs Service's Headquarters level; and
3. enforcement in other areas will not begin until all parties have adequate time to develop processes and systems, including automation changes, to implement the rule.

(b) TAB 3 (pdf format)

Operational issues concerning the rule and recommendations

(c) TAB 5 (pdf format)

Report and recommendations on confidentiality of manifest data

(d) TAB 11 (pdf format)

Report and recommendations on enforcement

2. The US Customs Service has provided a written response to some issues raised by COAC. Such information, including a "Precise Description Guidance" setting out a list of samples of acceptable and unacceptable cargo descriptions, can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section of the 24-hour rule on the US Customs Service's website (http://www.customs.gov). A copy of the "Precise Description Guidance" is at Annex B (pdf format) for traders' easy reference. Traders are advised to visit the website for the latest information. For related information on the subject, traders may also refer to Commercial Information Circulars Nos. 217/02, 239/02 and 35/2003 dated 2 November 2002, 13 December 2002 and 25 January 2003 respectively.

ENQUIRIES

3. For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at 2398 5682.

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Sofie Chow)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry

Annex A, TAB 2, TAB 3, TAB 5, TAB 11, Annex B

Note : While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above information, the Department cannot guarantee this to be so and will not be held liable for any reliance placed on the same.